298 



HIUDS OF ONTARIO. 



In the procecrliiii^s of the Ornitlioloijical .Sub-section of the Cana- 

 dian Institute is an account of an interesting hyl)ri(l in which this 

 species is concerned. 



Mr. Wm. Cross says regarding it: "On January '22iu\, 1890, a 

 small-sized Finch, which was taken from a Hock of Pine Grosl)eaks, 

 was brought into my store. As the bird was new to me, I had it 

 submitted to J. A. Allen, who said : ' It is clearly a hybrid between 

 the common Purple Fincli and the Pine (rrosbeak. It is certainly a 

 most interesting capture, combining alx)ut eciually the characteristics 

 of both. It is just half-way between tliein in size and very nearly 

 .so in all other features.'" 



Genus LOXIA Lixx^Ers. 

 LOXTA CUriVIROSTRA MIXOl^, (Brehm). 



■2\'>. American Crossbill. (o2\) 



Male: — Bricky-rod ; wings, blackish, unniarkeil. Fmiale : — Brownish-oUve, 

 streaked and .speckled witli <lusky, the rump .saffion. Immature males mottled 

 with greenish and greenish-yellow. Lengtli, about (i ; wing, Si's ; tail, 2i^. 



Hab. — Nortliern Xoith America, resident sparingly soutli in the Eastern 

 United States to Maryland and Tennessee, and in the AUeghanies, irregularly 

 al)undant in winter ; resident south in tlie Rocky Mountains to Colorado. 



Nest, among tlie twigs of a spruce, comjjosed of twigs, rootlets, lichens, 

 etc., lined with hair and featliers. 



Eggs, three or four, pale green, spotted towaril the laiger cud witli lnown- 

 purple and lilac or l)rf)wn. 



Throughout Ontario the Crossbills are very erratic in tiicir move- 

 ments, sometimes appearing unexpectedly in consideral)le numbers 



