FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 315 



522. Loxia leucoptera Gmel. Whitk-winced Crossbill. 



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

 dark bases of feathers showing' throng-h and back clouded with black ; 

 wing-s and tail black, wings with two white 

 bumis, confluent at upper portion. Adult fe- 

 male : olive green or gray above, indistinctly 



streaked with dusky ; rump yellowish ; wings p.^ -.j, 



as in male, but not so black ; under parts '^" 



lighter, more ting-ed with yellowish. Young : similar to female, but colors 



duller and streaking- pronounced. Male : leng^th (skins) 5.89-6.54. wing- 



3.33-8.60, tail l'.(J0-2.34, bill .62-.69. Female : length (skins) 5.20-6.2l>, 



wingf 3.26-3.55. tail 1.02-2.32. 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. Eggs • 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 LEUCOSTICTE. 



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

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

 long- as wing-, emarg-inate ; tarsus short ; hind claw eciual to or longer than 

 its toe, strongly curved. 



KEY TO ADULTS. 



1. Body black atrata, p. 317. 



1 . 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'. Grav of crown not spreading down over sides of head. 



tephrocotis. p. 315. 



524. Leucosticte tephrocotis Swains. Ghay-ckowned Leu- 



COSTICTE. 



Adult male in .■^utn7npr. — Bill black ; crown bhu'k. bordered behind and 

 on sides with gray, the gray not spreading- 

 down over sides of head ; general body color 

 deep chestnut brown, lig-hter. and with black- 

 ish mesial streaks on back, belly, and rump : 

 upper tail coverts, wings, and tail more or 

 less ting-ed with ])ink. Adult niah in win- 

 ter: bill yellow. tii)i)<(l with Idackish : brown 

 feathers edged with whitish ; black of cr()wn 

 restricted. Adult female : like male, with 

 the same seasonal changes, but averaging- 

 paler and duller. Young: plain brownish, 

 without black or {jray on head, or rosy t.-iil 

 coverts. Male: length (.skins) 5.7()-('>.Sl . 

 winti- 4.(»0-4.4(). t.-iil 2.42-2.Sn, bill .42-.4S. Fi^. 40-J. 



