314 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



521. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). Crossbill.^ 



Adult male. — Dull red, generally brighter on rump ; gray showing 

 through on under parts ; feathers of back indistinctly streaked ; wings 

 and tail plain dusky. Adult females : olivaceous, often shading to bright 

 yellow. Young : streaked, on olive gray ground. Young male : mixed with 

 yellow and red before reaching adult stage. Male : length (skins) 5.04- 

 6.64, wing 3.18-3.66, tail 1.72-2.16, bill .57-73. Female: length (skins) 

 4.92-6.06, wing 3.10-3.57, tail 1.50-2.12, bill .54-.70. 



Distribution. — Northern North America, but chiefly northward and east 

 of the Plains ; irregularly abundant in winter. 



Nest. — In coniferous trees, rather flat, composed externally of spruce 

 twigs and shreds of soft bark, lined with horsehair and fine rootlets. 

 Eggs : usually 4, pale greenish, spotted with various shades of brown 

 mixed with purplish gray. 



Food. — Chiefly seeds of conifers. 



Crossbills, like other little pensioners of the trees, go and come 

 whenever the branches spread hospitable feasts. If the trees yield 

 no nuts, do not look for the jays or acorn-eating woodpeckers ; if it 

 is not a cone year do not expect the crossbills. But when the time 

 is ripe, some red letter day from high up in the treetops you may 

 catch the kinq), kim.p, kimp, of a busy flock, and on some still luckier 

 day, like a whirl of snowflakes down will come a parti-colored band 

 with their queer crossed bills and coats of red or greenish yellow. 

 Then, if seeds and cones favor, perchance the flock will take up its 

 abode in the neighborhood and act as if it had always been there, till 

 suddenly some day it has disappeared and is seen no more. 



At Fort Sherman, Idaho, Dr. Merrill has seen crossbills in every 

 month of the year, though their occurrence was irregular. At times 

 they were as common and fearless as English sparrows, and on warm 

 bright days in February and March he says ' their pleasing song was 

 heard in every direction.' 



When Dr. Mearns w^as in Arizona he chanced on a good year and 

 found them among the commonest birds, drinking and bathing at 

 the springs and water places at all times of day. 



521a. Loxia curvirostra stricklandi Bidgw. Mexican Cross- 

 bill. 



Similar to minor, but larger, colors averaging brighter, and lower mandi- 

 ble averaging heavier. Male : length (skins) 5.94-6.34, wing 3.67-4.05, tail 

 2.08-2.32, bill .74-. 86. Female : length (skins) 5.71-6.30, wing 3.42-3.88, 

 tail 1.88-2.14, bill .70-.81. 



Distribution. — Mountains from Colorado west to the Sierra Nevada, and 

 from Wyoming to Guatemala. 



1 Loxia curvirostra bendirei Ridgw. 



Like L. c. minor, but decidedly larger, adult male averaging lighter or brighter in color, 

 adult female slightly lighter and grayer. 



Distribution. — More nortliern and central mountain districts of western United States 

 from Colorado to the Cascades and Sierra Nevada ; during migration east to eastern Ne- 

 braska and Kansas, west to the coast district of California ; casually to Guadalupe Island, 

 Lower California, and south to New Mexico. {N. Am. Fauna, No. 16, 123.) 



