THE BIRDS OF WISCONSIN. 
93 
Acantliis linaria (Linn.). REDPOLL. 
An abundant winter visitant. In the southern part of the 
state the redpoll, like others of the northern birds which appear 
only in winter, is of irregular and uncertain occurrence, though 
usually found in good numbers at different times during the 
season. In the northern counties it is almost always an 
abundant visitor from late fall until spring, and seems to be 
especially plenty at certain localities, as about Stevens Point. 
Has been noted in Jefferson County as early as October 28 
(1869). The early arrivals are always young birds, the full 
plumaged adults not becoming numerous until cold weather. 
Acantliis linaria holbu?llii (Brchm.). HOLB CELL'S REDPOLL. 
A rare winter straggler. One specimen was shot at Lake 
Koshkonong, January 22, 1867 (L. K.), and identified by 
Prof. Baird in 1881. In a series of redpolls taken during 
January, February and March, 1896, by Mr. J. N. Clark at 
Meridian, are four specimens easily referable to this race. 
Mr. Clark has kindly sent one of these to us for examination, 
which has been marked as holbwllU by Ridgway and Fisher, 
who identified a number of redpolls for him at the time. These 
specimens were taken singly during the three months from 
flocks of the other varieties. The difference can be readily seen 
when compared with a series of linaria and rostrata without 
measurements, and the very pronounced slender bill and robust 
size, as well as other characters, distinguish this from both the 
other races. 
Acantliis linaria rostrata (Cones). GREATER REDPOLL. 
Winter visitant. Mr. Clark collected over thirty of these 
birds in Dunn County during the winter of 1S95-6. Regarding 
this variety he writes: "The greater redpolls kept, as a rule, 
in small flocks by themselves, accompanied by a few of the 
common ones only, and were nearly always found in the low 
timber lands along the river bottoms. Their food appeared to 
be the seeds of the water pepper almost exclusively." A series 
sent us by Mr. Clark at the time, in the flesh, all proved to be of 
this variety, and specimens of this and the other races were 
identified for him later by Prof. Robert Ridgway. Specimens 
have also been received from Stevens Point and Iron County, 
and others have been taken quite regularly at Lake Kosh- 
konong, especially during winters of heavy snowfall. Here 
they have never been found except as associated with linaria. 
