BIRDS OF NEW YORK 



275 



by those who are experienced in the differences between our redpolls. In 

 this way Mr Otto McCreary has observed them on several occasions in 

 Ontario and Seneca counties during 1909, 1910 and 191 2. The home of 

 the present subspecies is in Greenland and the adjoining country, straggling 

 southward in winter from Ungava and Labrador to Quebec, Ontario, 

 Manitoba, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, New York and Massachusetts. 



Average dimensions of Redpolls 



(Ridgway, Birds of North and Middle America) 



SUBSPECIES 



/ male. . . 

 \ female . 

 J male. . . 

 \ female.. 



■ male. . . 



. female . 



f male . . . 

 rostrata (f^^^i^. 



exilipes 



linaria 



holboelli 



Acanthis cannabina 



European Linnet 

 cannabina, Lat., of hemp 



Description. Forehead and crown crimson; rest of the head, nape and sides of the 

 neck mottled brownish gray; mantle chestnut brown; wing feathers blackish with outer 

 edges white, forming a conspicuous bar ; under tail coverts dark brown with whitish margin; 

 taU feathers black narrowly edged with white on the outer and broadly on the inner webs ; 

 chin and throat dull white striped with grayish brown; breast crimson; belly dvill white; 

 flanks fawn brown; in winter the crimson feathers concealed by wide grayish margins. 

 Female: Duller in color and without any crimson. 



Length 5.75 inches. 



Distribution. This old-world species, which resembles superficially the Redpoll ia 

 appearance, is not a native of our avifauna, but has been reported once from this State 

 by Gerald Thayer (see Auk, 17 : 389). Of course, its occurrence here was wholly accidental. 

 The specimen taken by Mr Thayer in Westchester county, at Scarboro, is now in the 

 State Museum. Besides the one taken, he saw a flock of 5 males and females for several 

 days about the locality. There is no question about the identity of Mr Thayer's speci- 

 men but, of course, it is barely possible that these linnets had escaped from some zoological 

 park or had been liberated by persons who had them in captivity, yet there is little more 

 reason to doubt that they had wandered here, than that many specimens of American 



