120 Wyoming Experiment Station. 



peak in 1857; Grinnell has the following note from the Yel- 

 lowstone : "This species was found in great numbers near 

 the falls of the Yellowstone in August. It had undoubtedly 

 bred in the immediate vicinity, as I saw old birds feeding young 

 just from the nest. The food seemed to consist entirely of the 

 seeds of the pine." Coues also notes other records and Ridg- 

 way still others in Bulletin No. 50. I have observed this bird 

 in all of the pine-clad mountains of the state. In 1897 while 

 in the Bear Lodge mountain I saw these birds in flocks of sev- 

 eral hundred. It was on the 24th of July and the young were 

 full grown. At this time I took a dozen specimens, three of 

 which are in the University collection. 



522. Loxia leucoptera Gm£l. 

 White-winged Crossbill. 

 Resident ; not common. None of these birds have been 

 reported in recent years. Hayden reports two specimens tak- 

 en at Laramie peak, Aug. 25, 1857, and two specimens taken 

 on the west side of the Wind River mountains June 5, i860. 

 Coues reports one specimen taken at Box Elder creek, Aug. 

 21, 1870. From these records, there is no doubt about their 

 breeding in the state and I am quite certain that they remain 

 all winter ; but there are no winter specimens reported. 



524. Leucosticte tephrocotis Swains. 

 Gray-crowned Leucosticte. 



Winter resident ; very common in eastern Wyoming. 

 Their arrival from the north depends upon the severity of the 

 season. The earliest record that I have recorded is Oct. 25, 

 1898. which was prior to the coldest and longest winter ever 

 recorded for the Rocky mountains. In the fall of 1901 they 

 did not arrive until Dec. 2nd. They depart for the north be- 

 tween the 1st and middle of April. In their winter home they 

 are partial to civilization, and congregate in large flocks about 

 the towns and ranches. At Laramie I have seen as high as 

 500 in a single flock feeding upon weed seeds. Annually quite 



