86 Birds I Have Kept. 



the same colours, which serves to distinguish her from the 

 young males that have not yet acquired the rose tint, but 

 are of the same dark colour on the hack as their father. 



In its wild state the Lesser Redpoll has its home in the 

 north, abounding in Scotland, Sweden, iN'orway, Lapland, and 

 Greenland, from whence vast flocks migrate south about the 

 end of October, returning north again in March or April, a 

 few stragglers remaining, here and there, to breed. 



"When wild it feeds on many kinds of seeds, preferring, 

 however, that of the alder-tree to any other. In the house 

 it may be kept on rape, poppy, canary, and hemp seed. 



The Redpoll is a poor singer, its natural song consistiag 

 of little more than a continual clicking sound. It is very 

 easily tamed, and can be taught a number of little tricks, 

 besides working for its living — to fire off a miniature cannon 

 for instance, feign death, and so on. It will occasionally breed 

 in the aviary, and mules have frequently been obtained be- 

 tween it and the Canary, Brown Linnet, and Groldflnch. 



In disposition it is very confiding and affectionate, and even 

 when taken full grown, commences to eat the minute it is 

 placed in a cage. If a pair of these birds are kept in the 

 same aviary, they spend the greater portion of their time in 

 preening each other's plumage and the exchange of caresses. 

 So attached to each other are they, that I have known a 

 wild female voluntarily share the captivity of a male that 

 was chained to a stand usually kept outside the window of 

 a shoemaker in one of our London suburbs. 



The Redpoll is not by any means a delicate bird, and with 

 common oaxe will live for several years in the house. 



