118 
REDPOLE. 
Male; weight, two drachms and a half; length, rather under 
five inches; bill, above, greyish brown, the lower one yellowish, 
the point blackish; iris, dusky brown. The forehead,'which is 
dull red in winter, crimson in summer, is edged by a blackish 
band, the tips of the feathers being yellowish grey, and the 
rest black; crown, a mixture of dark and light brown, the 
centre of each feather being the darkest; neck in front, pale 
brown, with dark streaks; on the sides the same; chin, with 
a patch of black; throat in front, blackish, the tips of the 
feathers being yellowish grey in winter, and the rest black; 
on the sides it is pale brown with dark streaks; breast, pale 
brown, with dark streaks; in the summer fine red above and 
on the sides, fainter downwards, pale brownish white in winter: 
the sides the most streaked. Back, yellowish brown, streaked 
With blackish brown, darkest in summer; over the tail dull 
red, in summer much brighter. 
The wings extend to the width of eight inches and three 
quarters; they are crossed by two yellowish brown bands, 
formed by the tips of the lesser coverts; greater and lesser 
wing coverts, a mixture of dark and light brown, the centre 
of each feather being the darkest, which in the former makes 
a conspicuous bar; primaries, dusky brown, margined with 
pale yellowish brown; the three first quill feathers are nearly 
equal in length, the second rather the longest, the fourth a 
little shorter than the third; secondaries, dusky brown, edged 
with pale yellowish brown; tertiaries, dusky brown, with 
broad edges of pale yellowish brown. Tail, dusky brown, 
with yellowish brown edges to the feathers; the middle ones 
are nearly half an inch shorter than the side ones; upper tail 
coverts, a mixture of dark ,and light brown, the centre of 
each feather being the darkest; under tail coverts, whitish, 
tinged with red in the summer; legs, toes, and claws, blackish 
brown. 
Female; length, four inches and three quarters; the head 
has less red on the crown, and the black of the forehead 
is brownish; throat, brownish black. The breast has 
generally no red on it; the back has seldom any red on the 
lower part. 
In the young, after the first moult, which takes place in 
November, the upper bill is greyish brown, the lower one 
dull yellow, with the tip dusky; the 'eathers about the base 
of the bill are dull blackish brown. Head on the sides, 
streaked with dusky and light yellowish brown: the red is 
