538 GRANIVOROUS BIRDS. 



latter a large brown spot occupying its centre. - The young of the year 

 are of a greyish-brown above, with darker spots upon the head and 

 back. Below whitish-grey with longitudinal brown spots ; rump of 

 a yellowish grey. — The female differs little from the young last 

 mentioned ; the upper parts are greenish grey, with large spots of 

 cinereous-brown ; the throat and neck greyish, shaded with brown ; 

 the rest of the lower parts cinereous, slightly shaded with greenish- 

 yellow ; rump yellowish ; belly and rump whitish, upon the latter 

 a large brown spot. 



COMMON CROSSBILL. 



(Loxia curvirostra, Lin. Curvirostra americana, Wilson, iv. p. 44. 

 pi. 31. fig. 1. [young male !] fig. 2. [adult male ?] Phil. Museum, 

 No. 5640.) 



Sp. Charact. — Wings without bands; the bill as long as the mid- 

 dle toe ; the point of the lower mandible crossing the top of the 

 bill. — Adult male, greenish-yellow inclining strongly to cinere- 

 ous. — Female and young before ike fir st moult, shaded with green- 

 ish and yellowish tints ; rump yellowish ; beneath whitish, streak- 

 ed with dusky. — Young male, after the first moult, brick-red. 



This more common species, like the preceding, inhab- 

 its the high northern and arctic regions of both conti- 

 nents, where it breeds, and is met with from Greenland 

 to Pennsylvania, or farther south, according to the sea- 

 son, and their success in obtaining food, when driven to 

 make their southern descent or migration. From Sep- 

 tember to April, they are found inhabiting the extensive 

 pine forests in the mountainous and interior districts of 

 Pennsylvania and other states to the North ; they also 

 extend their winter migrations into the lower parts of the 

 state of Missouri. They have occasionally been seen in 

 the maritime parts of Massachusetts, but are less com- 

 mon here than the following species, generally taking, 

 in their irregular incursions, a more interior and moun- 

 tainous route. In the eastern chain of the Alleghanies, 

 in Pennsylvania, according to Wilson, they appear to be 



