Its nest is one of the neatest and most elegant of the many beautiful structures built by our native birds 
— its lining of feathers and hair being admirably arranged, and its little freckled llght-greenisb-blue eggs 
equally charming to look upon. The materials of which the nest is composed appear to vary considerably. 
Mr. Hevvitson describes it as “ very small, of the most elegant construction, and formed of the stalks of 
plants, roots, moss, and dry grass, with hair towards the inside, and thickly and most beautifully lined with 
the catkins of the willow, equalling in whiteness and texture the finest cotton-wool;” he has, however, 
“ found the nest without any of the last-mentioned material, hair, fine grasses, and feathers being sub- 
stituted in its stead. The eggs are from four to six in number,” of a light bluish grey, freckled with pale 
red and a few specks of dark brown near the larger end. The time of incubation is about the middle of 
June, and the young are able to fly at the end of the month or the beginning of July. 
Macgillivray describes the flight of the Lesser Redpole as “ peculiarly bounding and buoyant, and its 
voice remarkably clear and loud. When starting, it emits a hurried chatter of short notes, and as it pro- 
ceeds on its flight utters a single note at intervals less prolonged than those of our other Linnets. Its cry is 
so different from that of the Brown Linnet and Twite, being clearer and sharper, that one who has attended 
to it can readily distinguish the species on the wing. Although not abundant in any part of the country, it 
forms large flocks in winter, and betakes Itself to the birch- and alder-woods. I have also seen them in 
August scattered over a tract overgrown with thistles, the seeds of which they pick out precisely in the 
same manner as the Goldfinch does. On such occasions, unless they have previously been shot at or 
pursued, they take little heed of approaching danger ; so that one may easily approach them, and even go so 
near as to snare them with a noose on a long stick or fishing-rod.” 
The summer and winter liveries of these little birds are very different. In the spring and during the 
season of reproduction the crown and breast of the male are beautifully tinted with red, which tint, contrary 
to the law which obtains with regard to most other birds, increases at the end of the season or after the 
duty of reproduction has been completed. The richness of this red colour appears to be due to the brown 
tips of the feathers becoming worn away or stripped off by the bird, and admitting the more brllllarit part 
to become conspicuous ; but it is very evanescent, soon fading on exposure to light. In autumn the bird 
moults, after which the males, females, and the young birds of the year are very similar ; but the old males 
may be readily distinguished by the dull blood-red colouring of the crown. 
The male has the lores, a band across the forehead, and the throat black, with a tinge of yellowish grey 
at the tip of each feather; crown of the head dull red; remainder of the upper surface yellowish brown, 
streaked with blackish brown ; wing-coverts dark brown, tipped with pale yellowish brown, forming two 
bands when the wing is closed ; the remainder of the wings and the tail dark brown margined with light 
brown ; under surface pale brown, streaked with a dark tirif; abdomen and under tail-coverts whitish. 
The female is very similar, but has a smaller amount of red on the head, and no indication of that 
colour elsewhere. 
In summer the bill of the male becomes greyish brown above and yellow beneath ; the crown of the head 
crimson ; the sides and front of the neck, the breast, and flanks carmine red ; the centre of the breast, the 
abdomen, and the under tail-coverts white tinged with rose-colour. 
The dress of the female at this season is very similar to that of winter, but is perhaps somewhat lighter 
in its general hue. 
The Plate represents a male, a female, and a nest and eggs, on a branch of the whitethorn {Cratcegus 
Oooyacanthd)^ all of the natural size. 
