FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 315 



522. Loxia leucoptera GmeL White-winged Crossbill. 



Adult male. — Dull rose red, occasionally tinged with yellow or orange ; 

 dark bases of feathers showing through and back clouded with black ; 

 wings and tail black, wings with two white 

 bands, confluent at upper portion. Adult fe- 

 male : olive green or gray above, indistinctly 



streaked with dusky ; rump yellowish ; wings "*"" „. ^. 



as in male, but not so black ; under parts 



lighter, more tinged with yellowish. Young : similar to female, but colors 



duller and streaking pronounced. Male : length (skins) 5.39-6.54, wing 



3.8:^-3.60, tail 2.00-2.34, bill .62-.69. Female : length (skins) 5.20-6.22, 



wing 3.26-3.55, tail 1.92-2.32, bill .59-.66. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal zone forests of northern North America ; 

 winters in the United States to about 39°. 



Nest. — As described by Adams, deeply saucer-shaped, made of spruce 

 twigs and lichens, lined with hairs and inner bark. £ggs : pale blue, 

 spotted around larger end with black and lilac. 



Food. — Spruce seeds, buds, and berries. 



In general habits the white-winged closely resembles the other 

 species of Loxia. 



GENUS LETJCOSTICTE, 



General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, short-conical ; nasal 

 plumules covering nostrils ; wing long, pointed ; tail about two thirds as 

 long as wing, emarginate ; tarsus short ; hind claw equal to or longer than 

 its toe, strongly curved. 



KEY TO ADULTS. 



1. Body black • • atrata, p. 317. 



r. Bodv brown. 



2. Body light brown australis, p. 317. 



2'. Body dark brown. 



3. Gray of crown spreading down over sides of head. 



littoralis, p. 316. 

 3'. Gray of crown not spreading down over sides of head. 



tephrocotis, p. 315. 



524. Leucosticte tephrocotis Swains. Gray-crowned Leu- 



COSTICTE. 



Adult male in suymner. — Bill black ; crown bhu-k. bordered behind and 

 on sides witli gray, the gray not spreading 

 down over sides of head ; general }>()dy color 

 dee]) chestnut brown, ligliter, and witli black- 

 ish mesial streaks on back, belly, and rump : 

 upper tail coverts, wings, and tail more or 

 less tinged with pink. Adidt male in win- 

 ter: bill yellow, tipjx'd with blackish : brown 

 feathers edged witli whitish : black of crown 

 restricted. Adult ft nudt- : like male, with 

 the same seasonal changes, but averaging 

 paler and duller. Young: plain brownish, 

 without black or gray on head, or rosy tail 

 coverts. M<de : length (skins) 5.70-(».S]. 

 wing 4.00-4.40, tail 2.42-2.S(), bill .42-. 4S. Fig. 40J 



