488 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tlie female again resumed her place upon it, to protect her eggs from the 

 bitiug frost. The eggs \\'ere four in number, and measured .85 by .53 of 

 an inch. They have a greeuish-wliite ground and are beautifully blotched, 

 marbled, and dotted with various shades of lilac and purplish-brown. 



Loxia curvirostra, \ar mexicana, Stkicklaxd. 



MEXICAN CROSSBILL. 



Loxia mexicana, StrK'KL.^nd, J^iilim- Contrib. Orn. 18.51, 43. — ScL.\TEii, P. Z. S. 1859, 

 ;j(;5._In. 1864, 174, City of Mexico. — Salvin, Ibis, 1866, 193 (Guatemala). 



Sp. Cii.\r. Color.s of amerir.ana, but red brigliter, more scarkt. Bill very large, the 

 lower raaiiililjle nearly or quite equal to the upper in strength and length. Wing, 4.00; 

 tail, 2.50 ; bill (from forehead) .82. 



Had. Mountainoii.s region.s of Southern North America, from Guatemala, north into 

 Rocky Mountains of United States; Mexico, Orizaba. 



This bird is quite as well marked as any of the plain-winged " species," 

 differing from curvirodm and amcricana quite as nmch as they do from each 

 other. 



All specimens from Me.xico, as well as from the Central IJocky IMountains 

 of tlie United States, are referrible to this form, tlicnigh in winter the amcri- 

 cana may also be found in the latter region, as a migrant from the north. 



Habits. The occurrence of tliis well-marked race among the mountain- 

 ous districts of Mexico is a very interesting and suggestive fact in regaril to 

 the distribution of birds, demonstrating, as it does, tlie close connection be- 

 tween high latitudes and high elevations as favoring similar forms. It was 

 first described by Strickland from specinu^ns obtained on the plateau near 

 the city of Mexico. Another specimen is referred to by Air. Sclater as 

 having been received from Jalapa, Mexico ; and, Mr. Sumichrast obtained 

 also a single specimen of this species at Moyoapam, in the alpine region of 

 Orizaba, where it is known as tlie Pico cruzaclo. It was taken at an eleva- 

 tion of about 7,500 feet. Mr. Sumichrast was unable to determine wlietlier 

 this bird was resident, or only a migratory visitant in the winter. I can find 

 no reference to any distinctive peculiarities of habits 



Loxia leiicoptera, Omelin. o / 7 



WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 



Jl 



Loxia, leucnptcm, Gm. Syst. Nat. 1, 1788, 540. — AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 467, pi. 

 ccclxiv. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 190, pi. cci. — Box. & Schl. IVIon. Loxiens, 1850, 

 8, pi. ix. — Gould, B. Gt. Britain, V, 1864 (killed England, Sept. 17). Curvirostra 

 leitcoptera, WlLs. Am. Oru. IV, 1811, 48, pi. xxxi, f. 3. — lUlUD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 427. — Dai,l & Bannistek, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 1869, 281 (Alaska). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 

 149. — Samuel.s, 293. Crucirostra leiicoptera, BiuaiM, Nanniannia, I, 1853, 254, fig. 

 20. Loxia falcirostra, Lath. Index, Orn. I, 1790, 371. 



