BIRDS OF KANSAS. 421 



and old. The young birds were fully grown but were clamorous 

 for food. 



Loxia leucoptera Gmel. 



WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 

 PLATE XXVI. 



Irregular winter visitant; very rare. 



B. 319. E. 173. C. 198. G. 87, 206. U. 522. 



Habitat. Northern North America; breeding from northern 



New England and the Kocky Mountain regions of Colorado 



northward; south in winter to about latitude 39°. 



Sp. Char. Wing with two white bauds (on tips of middle and greater cov- 

 erts), the two confluent at upper portion. Adult male: General color purplish 

 red or dull rosy, occasionally tinged with yellow or orange; scapulars, wings and 

 tail deep black, the former varied with white, as described above; back clouded 

 with blackish. Adult female: Olive greenish or grayish above; paler (often 

 more yellowish) beneath; wings and tail as in male, but duller black. Young: 

 Pale olivaceous, more dingy whitish, tinged with yellowish, beneath, everywhere 

 streaked with dusky; wings and tail much as in adults. {Ridgioay.) 



Iris brown; bill dusky; legs and feet dark brown; claws black. 



The natural home of this handsome species is within the deep 

 evergreen woods, but outside of the breeding season they are 

 erratic wanderers, roving about in small flocks, in an irregular 

 and apparently aimless manner. In their general habits, are 

 similar to the American Crossbill, but rather more northerly in 

 their distribution. Their food consists largely of seeds extracted 

 from cones, the spruce the favorite; they also feed freely upon 

 various kinds of seeds, berries, buds, etc. 



They are naturally unsuspicious, take kindly to confinement, 

 and make interesting cage birds; and climb about over the cage 

 Mdth the aid of their bills, much like Parrots. Their flights 

 are undulating and rather swift. While feeding and moving 

 about, are quite noisy, keeping up an almost constant, plaintive 

 "Wheep," or cheeping note. 



Their song is low, soft and sweet, much like that of the Amer- 

 ican Goldfinch. In the early part of July, I found the birds 



