566 FRINGILLID A. 
Mr. Selby, who visited Sutherlandshire in June 1834, 
says, ‘The Lesser Redpole Linnet was met with where- 
ever birch copse occurred. Several were shot, but all 
appeared of the common species, and none could be as- 
signed to the larger variety, or L. borealis.” This appears 
to me to be additional evidence that the larger, or Mealy 
Redpole, is a species distinct from the smaller. I do not 
find a single record of the Mealy Redpole breeding in 
this country ; but the nest and eggs of the Lesser Redpole 
may be obtained without difficulty every season. The 
Rey. Mr. Low includes it among the birds of the Orkneys, 
observing, that it builds in Hoy, among the small shrubs 
and heath, frequenting the farmyards in winter. 
Muller and Professor Nilsson say that this bird inhabits 
Denmark and Scandinavia generally. Mr. Hewitson saw 
it in Norway; and Captain W. Scoresby, in his account 
of the Arctic Regions, says, “‘on our approach to Spitz- 
bergen, several Lesser Redpoles alighted on different parts 
of the ship, and were so wearied apparently with being on 
the wing, though our distance from the land was not 
above ten miles, that they allowed themselves to be taken 
alive. How this little creature subsists, and why a bird 
of such apparent delicacy should resort to such a barren 
and gelid country, are questions of some curiosity and 
difficulty. It must be migratory; and yet how such a 
small animal, incapable of taking the water, can perform 
the journey from Spitzbergen to a milder climate, without 
perishing by the way, is difficult to conceive. Supposing 
it to take advantage of a favourable gale of wind, it must 
still be at least ten hours on the wing before it could reach 
the nearest part of Norway, an exertion of which one 
would imagine it to be totally incapable.” 
So hardy is this species, that, according to Dr. Richard- 
