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LESSER RED-POLL. 127 



thus marked until the spring ; and the females are destitute of 

 that ornament altogether. 



The Lesser Red-poll is five inches and a quarter in lengthy 

 and eight inches and a half in breadth ; the bill is pale yellow^ 

 ridged above and below with dark horn color, the upper mandi- 

 ble projecting somewhat over the lower at the tip; irides dark 

 hazel; the nostrils are covered with recumbent, hair-like feathers 

 of drab color ; a line of brown extends from the eyes, and enco- 

 des the base of the bill, forming in some specimens a patch below 

 the chin ; the crown is ornamented with a pretty large spot of 

 deep shining crimson ; the throat, breast and rump stained with 

 the same, but of a more delicate red ; the belly is of a very pale 

 ash, or dull white ; the sides are streaked with dusky ; the whole 

 upper parts are brown or dusky, the plumage edged with yellow- 

 ish white and pale ash, the latter most predominant near the 

 rump ; wings and tail dusky, the latter is forked, and consists of 

 twelve feathers edged with white; the primaries are very slightly 

 tipped and edged with white; the secondaries more so; the greater 

 and lesser coverts are also tipped with white, forming the bars 

 across the wings; thighs cinereous; legs and feet black; hind claw^ 

 considerably hooked, and longer than the rest. 



The female is less bright in her plumage above ; and her 

 under parts incline more to an ash color ; the spot on her crown 

 is of a golden crimson, or reddish saffron color. 



One male specimen was considerably larger than the rest ; 

 it measured five inches and three quarters in length, and nine 

 inches and a quarter in extent; the breast and rump were tawny; 

 its claws were uncommonly long, the hind one measured nearly 

 three eighths of an inch ; and the spot on the crown was of a 

 darker hue than that of the rest. 



The call of this bird exactly resembles that of the Fringilla 

 tristisy or common Yellow-bird of Pennsylvania. 



