RED-POLL LINNETS. 53 



doors, and peer about with an odd mixture of confidence and curiosity, examining 

 everything, and scarcely deigning to move aside as the people pass back and forth. By 

 the 8th of June their young are frequently hatched, and by the 1st of July are fully 

 fledged. All through July and August they are extremely abundant, but in September 

 the number commences to diminish, until toward the end of September the majority 

 are gone, and but comparatively few are seen in the vicinity of the coast until spring 

 approaches. Flocks of considerable size, however, unite at this season and remain about 

 the country, frequenting the bushy tracts on the hill-sides, until into November, when 

 all but a few of the hardiest leave. The migrants mainly flock to the interior where they 

 brave the severest weather. The last of March and early in April they reappear on the 

 sea-coast and make their first visits to the houses. Their movements at this season 

 are rather erratic. They sometimes appear in considerable numbers and remain per- 

 manently, or they remain for a few days or hours, and then disappear for several 

 weeks." 



The Red-poll inhabits the whole northern hemisphere. In northern Europe it is 

 very common. Tschudi has found it breeding in the Alps of Switzerland, Hanf in 

 Steiermark. 



NAMES: Red-poll Linnet, Red-poll, Gommon Red-poll. — Birkenzeisig, Leinfink (German). 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Fringilla linaria Linn. (1758). Aegiotbus linaria Cab. (1851). ACANTHIS LINARIA 

 Bonap. (1850). 



DESCRIPTION: Male adult: Uppers parts, streaked with dusky and light colors; crown with a rosy- 

 crimson patch ; rump, rosy-white, streaked with dusky. A dusky spot covering chin and upper part 

 of throat. Below, white, heavily streaked with dusky except belly ; breast, tinged beautifully wth 

 rosy-red or deep madder-pink. Female, similar, showing the red crown patch, but lacking the red on 

 the chest and sides. Bill in winter, yellow, black in summer. 



Length, 5.00 inches; wings, 2.91, much pointed; tail, 2.33, rather short and forked. 



Holbcell's Red-poll, Acantbis linaria holbcelli Brehm, is a bird of the northern 

 coasts of Europe and Asia (Norway to Japarf), and has also been found on the coast 

 of Alaska. In winter it has been also observed near Quebec. It is a little larger than 

 the type. 



Gkeater Red-poll, A. linaria rostrata CouES. This variety inhabits southern 

 Greenland in summer and migrates in winter as far south as Wisconsin, northern 

 Illinois, New England, lower Hudson valley; west to Manitoba. It is considerably 

 larger than the common Red-poll, while the colors are darker. 



Brewster's Linnet, A. brewsteri Ridgw., lacks the red on the top of the head 

 and the dusky spot on the chin. Only one specimen is known which was found at 

 Waltham, Mass. 



Greenland Red-poll, A. hornemanni Holb., and its variety, the Hoary Red-poll, 

 A. hornemanni exilipes CouES, can scarcely find a place in this book. The type inhabits 

 eastern Arctic America south to Labrador and the variety is common in Alaska and 

 has been repeatedly found in northern New England in winter. It inhabits circumpolar 

 continental regions. 



