The Comradeship of Redpolls g 



for their companions until these are found, when they again feed contentedly 

 with the rest of the flock and the call-note is at once forgotten, the communal 

 chirp taking its place. This may be observed many times in following a flock, 

 even for a short period. Owing to the restless nature of the birds, and the close- 

 growing w^eeds they haunt, one or a few of them very often fail to rise with the 

 main body of the flock. 



The canary-like call-notes of stray Redpolls may be closely imitated by 

 whistling. I have called a single bird to a tree beside me time after time by 

 thus imitating the call of a mate. He would fly nearly out of sight across the field, 

 then circle and return, answering m}- whistle with a similar note as he twitched 

 his tail, and peered about in my direction. He sometimes flew down in a low 

 tree quite near me for a closer look; but he would soon be off again, only to return 

 as before to the same tree when I whistled. 



