SUPPLEMENT TO BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY 1 39 



I have records for this bird in the County only in the winter of 1906-07, in 

 1918-19, and in the early winter of 1919-20. 



217 [527a] Acanthis hornemanni exilipes (Coues). 



Hoary Redpoll. 

 Very rare winter visitor. 



The record of 1878 remains unique. 



218 [528] Acanthis linaria linaria (Linn.). 



Redpoll. 



Irregular and at times abundant winter visitor. October 24 to April 25. 



I have records of this bird in the County in the winters of 1906-07, 1908-09, 

 1911-12, 1913-14, 1919-20. 



The courtship song is delivered by the bird flying in irregular circles and 

 consists of a series of chees and chugs and fine rattling trills interspersed with 

 sweet dee ahs like those of a Goldfinch. They often descend precipitately to 

 their perch still singing. 



The stomach of a Redpoll I shot at Ipswich on March 10, 1912, and sent to 

 Washington was reported on by Mr. W. L. McAtee as follows: "The stomach 

 of the Redpoll contained the remains of many small cocoons of Microlepidoptera, 

 probably of the family Tineidae. These made up 96 per cent, of the contents and 

 are no doubt what the birds were getting from the bark of the larch trees. The 

 remainder of this bird's stomach-contents was bits of the shell of ragweed seeds." 

 A flock of a dozen Redpolls together with a few Pine Siskins, some Myrtle 

 Warblers, Tree Sparrows, and Chickadees were always to be found gleaning the 

 branches in a grove of larches on the side of Castle Hill that winter and doubt- 

 less saved this grove from destruction by these pests. 



219 [S28a] Acanthis linaria holbcelli (Brehm). 



Holbcell's Redpoll. 

 Very rare winter visitor. 



There are no other records besides that of Mr. Brewster for 1883. 



