90 
THE 
CANADIAN 
NATURALIST. 
C. — There is a pair of pretty birds in the road before 
us : the crown of the head is bright crimson^ and one of them 
has a red breast. What are they ? 
F, — They are called the Lesser Red-poll ( Fringilla 
Linaria ) ; this is one of the few birds which are found both 
in Europe and Ariierica. It is not by any means a common 
bird, as I have very rarely seen it. These, too, are finches, 
and feed principally, if not wholly, on seeds : it is probable 
they breed with us^ as they are northern birds, but I have 
never met with their nests. 
C. — The fields are beginning to look green in some 
places ; and here are the young leaves of the Hop plant 
C Humulus Lupulus ) growing in a corner of the fence. 
F, — Professor Eaton gives the hop as a native of this 
continent : but for his high authority, I should have rather 
supposed that it had been introduced from Europe. The 
hop grows remarkably fast ; I have known a shoot to grow 
more than two inches and a quarter in twenty-four hours. 
C. — What large fish are those^ which the man who just 
passed us carried in his hand ? 
F, — They are called here " Longe/' in other parts, 
Maskilonge f and are esteemed fine eating. They are 
caught in the neighbouring lakes^ but I know nothing of 
their natural history. They are often taken of great size. 
C. — I yesterday heard the voice of a bird near the edge 
of the second-growth-poplar woods, which sounded strange 
to me : it was like the words pwilhelly, pwilhelly." I 
approached, to try to get a sight of it^ but found that it 
receded before me, faster than I could pursue it, and it was 
finally lost in the distance. 
F. — It was no stranger : neither more nor less than your 
noisy acquaintance, the Blue Jay ( Co7'vus Cristatus ) ; the 
screaming rogue has so many notes and strange cries^ that 
V 
