The Lesser Redpoll. 
W. E. Brooks on the Genus Acanthis.— Mr. Brooks, the well-known 
Indian Ornithologist, now living in Milton, Ontario, has recently contrib- 
uted to ‘The Ibis’ two papers* on the Redpolls, especially the American 
species. The final result to which Mr. Brooks has arrived, he gives as 
follows: “We have, then, five very well-marked species of Acanthis, viz. 
A. hornemanni , A. exilipes, A- rostrata. A. linaria, and A. rufescens ; also 
one doubtful bird, A. linaria kolbcelli." Of this latter he says : “To me it 
is not a thoroughly satisfactory species, like the others, but at present its 
long bill is not easily accounted for. I am not partial to the trinomial 
system, but for convenience’ sake this bird might stand a.s Acanthis linaria 
kolbodli. It is a variation not yet thoroughly worked out.” The present 
reviewer, who, on an earlier page of this number of ‘The Auk,’ has attempt- 
ed to put this form on a satisfactory footing, feels quite satisfied with this 
admission of Mr. Brooks, who, it must be remembered, is an opponent of 
the theory of evolution, and to whom a form must be a ‘full species or 
nothing. On the other hand it is very gratifying to find one's views in 
regard to so difficult a group as the Redpolls shared and sustained by an 
ornithologist of so great power of discrimination as Mr. Brooks, whose 
statements the present writer is glad to indorse in most cases. Ihe dif- 
ferences of opinion between Mr. Brooks and myself relate directly to the 
question of ‘species or subspecies,’ or perhaps ‘binomials or trinomials,’ 
differences which, in fact, are quite unessential.— L. S. / 
Auk, 4, Jan., 1887* P* ' 
* Stray Ornithological Notes. Ibis, 1885, pp. 380-389; the portion relating to 
Acanthis on pp. 381-385. Additional Notes on the Genus Acanthis. Ibis, 1886, pp. 
359 - 364 - 
BY ARTHUR H. LOCKETT. 
The interesting, and hardy little bird, corres- 
ponds in Winter to the Goldfinch in Summer, but 
is a little larger than the Goldfinch, and with more 
modest colors. 
The male wears a beautiful rose colored vest, 
with a modest black tie just under his chin. His 
swallow-tailed coat is striped brownish gray and 
white, but the handsomest part of his outfit, is a 
beautiful crimson skull-cap, which is also a weak- 
ness of his wife’s, but she does not wear red in 
any other part of her costume. 
They are very irregular in their movements, 
some years appearing at one time, some years at 
another ; common one Winter and few or none to 
be found the next. Last year they came and went 
late, not arriving here (Exeter, ' 1 ST. H.,) until the 
first week in March, and leaving about, the middle 
of April. They were in very large flocks, and 
wandered incessantly in search of food. 
When on the ground they are very easily start- 
led, but on the other hand very easily re-assured ; 
taking to the trees or bushes at the slightest sound, 
but in a second or two back again picking up 
seeds as before. 
Their note is very peculiar, for the note or 
rather chatter of one bird sounds like that of a 
great many. 
In the latter part of March I caught a well 
marked female, and tamed it, which was very 
easily done, and found it a very pretty little pet. 
It never disturbed me by loud notes, as at times 
a canary does, but sitting on the top of its cage, 
would chatter as if talking to itself for an hour at 
a time, and I could shut my eyes and imagine 
that I heard a whole flock of these happy little 
creatures, hopping about on the crust of the snow, 
fulfilling the duty for which God created them. 
o . & o. XI. Jan. 1C86, p. 6 >. 
