268 FRINGILLA LINARIA. 
the ground. The nest is formed of light stalks of 
grass, intermixed with tufts of wool, and warmly lin«“ 
with feathers. The eggs are usually four, whit®’ 
sprinkled with specks of reddish. 
[* Contrary to the usual practice of Mr Wilso®' 
he omitted to furnish a particular description of tb^ 
species. But this supplementary notice would o®] 
have been cousidered necessary, if our author ha® 
not lallen into a mistake respecting the markings of th® 
female and the young male j the former of which h® 
describes as destitute of the crimson on the forehead» 
and the latter “not receiving that ornament till th* 
succeeding spring.” When Mr Wilson procured hj* 
specimens, it was in the autumn, previously to th®*® 
receiving their perfect winter dress ; and he was nev®*^ 
afterwards aware of his error, on ing to the circumstan^ 
of these birds seldom appearing in the neighbourho®® 
of Philadelpliia. Considerable docks of them, howev®®’ 
have visited us this winter (1813-14;) and we h.M® I 
been enabled to procure several fine specimens of h®^® I 
sexes, from the most perfect of which wo have tak®® 
the following description. We will add, that havi®?. i 
had the good fortune to observe a dock, consisting 
nearly an hundred, within a few feet of them, as th®.f 
were busily engaged in picking the seeds of the wil® 
orache,-^ we can, with conddeiice, assert, that they 
had the red patch on the crown, but there rvere v®®/ 
few' which had the red rump and breast; the you®? 
males, it is probable, are not thus marked until th® 
spring, and the females arc destitute of that ornam®®* 
altogether. 
The lesser red-poll is dve inches and a quarter j® 
length, and eight inches and a half in breadth ; the hd* 
is pale yellow, ridged above and below with dark ho®® 
colour, the upper mandible projecting somewhat o®®*^ 
* From this to the end of the article, enclosed within bmek^*? 
IS an adihtion to Wdson’s article by Mr Ord, editor of the W® 
and 9th volumes of the American edition of the Ornithology' 
f Atriplex hastata, Linn. 
