BRITISH SONG-BIRDS. 201 



leased her, she would not forsake it." In mnter 

 these birds migrate southward, and are sometimes 

 taken about London by bird-catchers; where they 

 are known by the name of stone redpoles. The 

 lesser and gi-eater redpoles are subject to consid- 

 erable variation in their plumage; but, in all their 

 changes, they never lose the appearance of a dis- 

 tinct species from the grey-linnet, the red-breasted 

 linnet, and twite. The lesser redpole is reared and 

 managed in the same manner as the linnet and 

 goldfinch. 



Description and Plumage. 

 Length about five inches, — the bill of a pale 

 yellowish-grey, inclining to yello^vish- white, — eyes 

 umber-brown, — on the forehead there is a spot of 

 red, of a tint between' arterial blood-red and au- 

 ricula-purple, — hind-head, neck, back, wings, and 

 tail, pale umber-browTi, the feathers edged with very 

 faint chestnut-brown, inclining to wood-bro^^Ti, — 

 chin brownish-black, — throat and breast tinged 

 with a hue between pale lake-red and crimson- 

 red, — sides streaked with hair-brown, lower parts 

 yellowish-white, — quills hair-brown, edged with 

 wood-brown, — ^tail feathers margined with pale 

 wood-broivn, — legs and feet hair-brown. In 

 some, the lower parts of the back is tinged with 

 pale crimson. 



