188 LAND-BIRDS. 



often uttered as they fly, are much louder and less musical. 

 They have also a very characteristic note, resembling the word 

 wee, uttered in a peculiar tone with a rising inflection, and, 

 moreover, if I rememhcr correctly, a loud and rather unmu- 

 sical trill. 



V. ACANTHIS. 



A. LiNAKiA. " Red-poll." Red-poll Linnet. Leaser 

 " Redpoll." Another iri'egular visitant to New England, in 

 the winter season only, being in some years very common and 

 in others altogether absent, at least in Massachusetts.* 



a. About 5| inches long. Upper' parts, flaxen, dark 

 streaked. Beneath, whitish, more or less dusky streaked. 

 Wings and tail, dusky, with white edgings; the former with two 

 narrow whitish bars. Crown, carmine ; " rump, white or rosy, 

 always streaked with dusky." In the mature $ the breast is 

 bright rosy, and the under tail-coverts paler and streaked. 



[Dr. Coues has endeavored to establish one or two varie- 

 ties of this species, which it is perhaps necessary to accept. 

 They are VAR.ywscescerts,! Dusky Redypoll, a darker form ; 

 with " rump scarcely lighter," and " sides heavily streaked," 

 which Dr. Coues supposes may occur from the wearing of the 

 feathers, and var. e:nMp('.n,\ American Mealy Ji<d-poll, with 

 flaxen paled to whitish, and rump unstreaked in axlults, "rep- 

 resenting," says Dr. Coues, "the true Mealy Redpoll, A. ca- 

 nescens, of Greenland."] 



h. The " Red-polls " breed in arctic countries on the 

 ground, § and lay four or five eggs, which are light greenish 

 blue, with a few brown spots, and which average about .65 X 

 .50 of an inch. 



c. The "Red-polls" are occasionally the most abundant 

 of our winter birds, but, on the other hand, several successive 

 winters often pass without their occurrence in Marjsachusetts. 



* An iirej^lar, tut at timef) moHt pes, a rare winter viftitor to New Kng- 



abnndant winter vliitor, not known to lanr]. — W. B. 



bre'id in New Enj^land. — W. B. § The rn^t in bnilt in birche*, aldera, 



t Not now considered a valid form, or willowd, nBnally near, bnt never, no 



— \V. B. far afl I am aware, actually on the 



t Now Acanthis hornemannii exili- ffronnd. — W. B. 



