LESSER RED-POLL. 
295 
young males, it is probable, are not 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 length, 
and eight inches and a half in breadth ; the bill is pale yellow, 
ridged above and below with dark horn colour, 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 colour ; a line of brown extends from the eyes, and encir- 
cles 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 yellowish 
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 con- 
siderably hooked, and longer than the rest. 
The female is less bright in her plumage above ; and her 
under parts incline more to an ash colour ; the spot on her crown 
is of a golden crimson, or reddish saffron. 
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 breadth; 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 Fringilki 
tristis, or common Yellow-bird of Pennsylvania. 
