Notes on the recent Immigration of Mealy Redpolls. 203 



Mealy Eedpoll in Sir Wm. Jardine's collection, figured by Selby in 1825, 1 was 

 clearly one — as represented in the life-size figure it must have had a bill of 

 9-9| mm. and a wing of not less than 76 mm. [but see footnote] 2 ; and 

 it was shot near Edinburgh (see Jardine's " Birds of Gt. Brit. & Irel.," pt. ii., 

 1839, p. 291). The Bathgate specimen described by MacGillivray 3 was 

 probably also a holboelli, being apparently a still longer billed (L0| mm.), 

 though shorter winged (72 mm.) bird. 



The statement, made above, that apart from the pink on the breasts of 

 the old males, the only difference observable among last year's invaders was 

 in their size, requires some slight qualification. As a matter of fact, a large 

 proportion of them were distinctly browner in tint than one connects with the 

 name Mealy Eedpoll. These I regard as the birds of the year, and sexed 

 specimens showed that they comprised both males and females. The greyer, 

 pink-breasted birds, or fully adult males, would not exceed, I should say, a 

 fifth of the whole, and allowing for a like number of adult females, we get 

 roughly three-fifths as the proportion of young birds. I assume that these 

 young non-pink-breasted males would breed in that plumage when about a 

 year old, and it may even be that some of them still lack the pink breast in 

 their second breeding season. 



From the foregoing notes and remarks it will be evident that there is still 

 much to learn regarding the Mealy Eedpoll ; it would, in fact, form an excellent 

 subject for a study in bird bionomics. 



[Specimens of Mealy, Holboll's, and Lesser Bedpolls, all from the Lothians, 

 and of the Hoary Eedpoll from North-east Eussia, were exhibited.] 



1 " Illust. Brit. Ornithology," part i., 1st ed. (1825), p. 280, footnote, and pi. 53* fig. 2. 



' l Since the above was written, I have ascertained from Mr W. Eagle Clarke that this 

 specimen, which formed part of the Jardine collection, is still preserved in the Royal 

 Scottish Museum, and is undoubtedly a Holboll's Redpoll, having a wing measurement of 

 78 mm., and a bill of 9 mm. with a deptli at base of 6| mm. 



3 " Hist. Brit. Birds," vol. i. p. 388. 



{Issued separately, 2>Mh May 1911.) 



VOL, XVIII. 



