q8 Brewster oh HolboWs Redpoll in Netv England. [April 



Measurements.* Five adult males. Wing, 3.10-3.30; tail, 

 2.46-264; length of bill from base, .40.-45; depth of bill at 

 base, .25-. 28. 



Five immature males. Wing, 3.-3. 14; tail, 2.37-2.65 ; length 

 of bill from base, .40-. 45 ; depth of bill, .25-. 26. 



Five females. Wing, 2.95-3.07 ; tail, 2.34-2.55 ; length of 

 bill, .36-.41 ; depth of bill, .24-. 25. 



The above characters have been taken from w^hat I assume to 

 be typical representatives. Between these extremes my series 

 furnishes a pei'fect intergradation in size and a partial one in 

 respect to shape of bill, coloring, markings, etc. Nevertheless 

 I have yet to see a bird which cannot be consistently referred to 

 one or the other form wdien the bearing of all its characters is 

 carefully weighed. Moreover, it is significant that the apparent 

 connecting links are furnished by large adult males of linaria 

 and small ye»za/^5 of holboelli., the variations among individuals 

 of the same age and sex failing to afford any real intermediates. 

 Taking this fact into account, and without regard to what has been 

 previously written on the subject. I should interpret the evidence 

 at hand as indicating that linai'ia and holboelli are forms closely 

 allied, but nevertheless sufficiently segregated to rank as distinct 

 species. Dr. Coues and Mr. Ridgway, however, agree in treat- 

 ing their relationship as a varietal one, and this opinion, based, 

 as it is, on exceptionally favorable opportunities in i^espect to 

 the examination of material, should not be lightly disregarded. 

 Still I cannot help suspecting that this point, as well as certain 

 others offered by the genus y^giothus^ wi|l bear further investi- 

 gation, and that this may lead to more or less important changes 

 in the arrangement at present accepted. 



It is worthy of note that most of the Holboll's Red-polls taken 

 here this winter have occurred on or very near the sea-shore. 

 Indeed, there is no evidence to show that they have been more 



* Without going into details of measurements of a large series of linaria before me, 

 I will simply remark that out of some sixty specimens, only two (both of which are 

 adult males) give a longer wing-measurement than the smallest holboelli. The larger 

 of these has a wing 3.08 inches long. In at least nineteen cases out of twenty, however 

 I find it perfectly safe to refer a Red-poll with a wing-measurement of 3 inches or 

 over, and a depth of bill of .25 inches or over to ^. holboelli; that is, such a specimen 

 will present most, if not all of the other characters already pointed out as distinguish- 

 ing this form. In the twentieth case size must be disregarded and the other characters 

 carefully considered. This, of course, relates to New England specimens only. 



