OF NORTHIJMBEELATfD AKD DURHAM. 55 



excessive wHteness of the plumage at once distinguislies this 

 from its congeners. ^ 



43, Lessee Redpoie. L. rtjeescek's, Vieillot. 



Fringilla Una/Ha, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, 1., 259 

 Linota „ Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, I., 562. 



A common resident, breeding in old, tall, neglected hedges, 

 and in woods. 



Perhaps our thi-ee species of Lina/ria ought to rank merely as 

 races, for, with the exception of size and degree of greyness, 

 there is no good character to distinguish them ; and, indeed, in 

 these respects, the difference is only one of degree. The Lesser 

 Eedpole has the feathers margined with a little white ; the Mealy 

 Redpoie with more white, and the Arctic with most white ; hence 

 the last species is the whitest and most mealy looking ; and it 

 is likewise distinguished by the rump and belly being of a pure 

 white, while in the other two so-called species these parts are 

 also white, but more or less streaked with brown. In length the 

 Lesser Eedpole is rarely more than four-and-a-half inches, the 

 Mealy Eedpole five inches, and the Arctic Eedpole five-and-a-half 

 inches. 



The peculiar rosy-red tints of the breast and rump of these 

 birds remind one of the similar tints of the Crossbill, and have 

 a stained-like appearance, rather than the usual character of the 

 coloration. The red on the head is of a diiferent character, 

 the stained-like tints, too, disappear in the same mysterious man- 

 ner as in the Crossbill. 



The rose colour of the breast and rump does not appear to be 

 retained for any length of time ; hence, as many birds are found 

 breeding without as with it ; and it is a notorious fact that in 

 cage specimens the rosy hues never return after the birds have 

 moulted, as has already been noticed with respect to the Linnet. 

 Bird fanciers, however, attribute this change to the effect of con- 

 finement, but in this they are in error, else how does it happen 

 that so many birds are found in a wild state breeding without 

 the rosy tints? In fact, it is with the Eedpoles as with the 



