AMERICAN CROSSBILL 235 



its seeds you realize that the bill is most wonder- 

 fully adapted, from the simple Finch type, to suit 

 their peculiar needs. 



In the cold winter of 1875-76, Mr. Nehrling 

 tells us, the parks of Chicago and the suburbs of 

 the city swarmed with Crossbills and other north- 

 ern birds. They came into his garden and to the 

 windows of his house in Oak Park, j)icking up 

 crumbs, j^ieces of fat and tallow, hemp, millet, 

 canary-seed, cuttle-fisli bone, and salt. Indeed, 

 the Crossbills are particularly fond of salt, a salt 

 pork rind furnishing them a veritable feast. 



The Crossbills nest irregularly, but usually in 

 February, when the cold of winter is most intense 

 and the snows the deepest. As Mr. Nehrling 

 says, one would think it impossible, not only that 

 the eggs could be kept from freezing, but that 

 the callow young could endure the rigors of the 

 season. 



There is a white-winged species of Crossbill 

 that goes farther north than the American, but 

 it is sometimes seen in flocks with the American, 

 and the two species are similar in habits. The 

 white-winged is said to eat cankerworms. 



