392 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



nests and eggs. Macoun says that a large series of eggs of this species 

 was taken at Naehvak in 1895. Also one set of five eggs and nest were 

 taken there by G. Ford in 1897, and two eggs at Fort Chimo on June 

 13, 1896. 



Acanthis linaria (Linn.). 



Redpoll; "Alder-bihd" (Stearns). 



Abundant permanent resident. 



The Redpoll is found and has been noted breeding throughout 

 the length and breadth of the Labrador peninsula. During the fall 

 and winter it collects in large flocks. During the summer it is not so 

 gregarious. 



Macoun says: "During the last week of May and early in June, 

 1899, Mr. A. P. Low found this bird breeding abundantly at the 

 mouth of the Great Whale River, Hudson Bay, and I secured close 

 upon 150 eggs of this species that were then collected. The nests ' 

 were built low down in stunted willows, not more than two or three 

 feet from the ground and contained five or six eggs each. I have also 

 several sets that were taken at Cartwright, Labrador, by the late 



Lambert Dicks during June, 1895 (W. Raine)." Kumlien 



says that "off Kikkertarsoak Islands, on the Labrador coast, as much 

 as one hundred miles from land, these birds came aboard of the 

 schooner in a gale. They were all young birds." Mr. Schmitt at 

 Nain told us that two kinds of Redpolls nested there. 



We noted 57 Redpolls on our trip north and 77 on our return, most 

 of them at Great Caribou Island, Cape Charles, St. Lewis Inlet, and 

 Rigolet. They were seen singly or in pairs, and occasionally in small 

 loose flocks up to 8 or 10. Their most frequent call note was a rough 

 chug or chee resembling very closely the call note of the White-winged 

 Crossbill. They also frequently emitted a sweet Goldfinch-like note 

 dei-ar. They were constantly singing either from the top of a spruce 

 or fir or in the air, flying in irregular circles, flitting about from place 

 to place, and frequently dropping suddenly into a tree where they 

 continued their song. The song recalls the song of the White-winged 

 Crossbill but is much inferior in quality. It is a succession of chugs 

 interspersed with dee-ars and chee-chee-chees, with every now and 

 then a fine rattling trill. 



