THE LESSER REDPOLL. 15 
says of Lesser Redpolls :—T have noted them in May settling themselves about - 
Glenalla in small flocks, and scattering to breed. About Rathmullan and Carra- 
blagh they are also frequent in summer. In winter these birds come to roost, with 
several other species, every night in the plantations round my house at Carrablagh, 
where there is the best shelter for several miles. ‘Very common about Killybegs 
in the breeding season. Have known four nests in the hedgerows along the first 
mile of the Donegal road from here, in the same season.’—(A.B.).” 
Speaking of the species as observed by him in Wales, E. A. Swainson, of 
Brecon, says:—‘‘I have noticed it every summer here for some years, but this 
season (1891) it has been unusually common, and I have often heard its musical 
little trill and triple flight-note about the alder swamps and adjacent hedges. In 
June last I found two nests of this bird, placed in honeysuckle growing in tall 
hedges, each containing fresh eggs. Both nests had the usual lining of white 
down, but one was peculiar in having a quantity of honeysuckle bark-strips inter- 
woven amongst the grass round the outside of the nest. This beautiful little nest 
contained four eggs, of a bright blue-green, blotched, two of them very boldly, 
with reddish-brown.” 
As a cage-bird the Lesser Redpoll is usually a great favourite, chiefly on 
account of its tameness and a certain amount of reasoning capacity which it 
possesses, whereby it has discovered, under the pressure of hunger and thirst, that 
it can pull up with its beak and hold with its claw little pails or waggons con- 
taining its food or water: it is by no means the only bird which has been taught 
this senseless trick, but many thoughtless bird-lovers seem to consider that all 
captives (even birds) ought to be compelled to work for their living. I have seen 
the process of teaching this bird in all its stages, and consider it anything but kind. 
The Lesser Redpoll in confinement is for ever fidgeting about on the wirework 
of its cage, somewhat after the fashion of a Tit: during the breeding season the 
male and female spend half the day in caressing like a pair of Love-birds; whilst 
the song of the male at that season is frequent, but is a very poor performance, 
not unlike a feeble Brambling’s song, consisting (as already hinted) of a mere 
monotonous trill, resembling a distant railway-guard’s whistle: this trill is some- 
times copied by young Canaries, and is considered ruination to their notes. 
My experience of this species in an aviary is that no Finch of its size is so 
mischievously meddlesome as the Lesser Redpoll; not only does it rarely breed, 
but if another bird which happens to be building, leaves its nest for fresh material, 
the Redpoll immediately flies down and commences to pull it to pieces. On the 
other hand, Mr. G. C. Swailes, of Beverley, has been rather successful in breeding 
Redpolls. 
