LESSER RED-POLL. 
259 
The call of this bird exactly resembles that of the Fringilla 
tristis, or common Yellow-bird of Pennsylvania. 
The Red-polls linger in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia 
until about the middle of April; but whither they retire for the 
business of incubation, we cannot determine. 
In common with almost all our Finches, the Red-polls be- 
come very fat, and are then accounted delicious eating. During 
the winter above-mentioned, many thousands of them were ex- 
posed to sale in the Philadelphia market, and were readily 
purchased by those epicures, whose love of variety permits no 
delicacy to escape them. 
In America this species must breed far to the north, perhaps 
beyond the residence of man, as they are so tame and unsus- 
picious that one can openly approach to within five or six feet 
of them, while they are occupied in feeding. As a proof of their 
rarity in Pennsylvania, I have not observed them since the 
early part of the year 1814; they were then so common that 
they swarmed in the gardens of Philadelphia. — G. Ord. 
