498 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 past i 



Distribution 



Range. — Europe and western Siberia. 



Breeding range. — The common crossbill breeds from Ireland, 

 southern Scotland, northern Scandinavia (from tree limit), northern 

 Russia (Arkhangelsk), and central western Siberia to southwestern 

 Yakutsk, south to northern Spain (the Pyrenees), northern Italy (the 

 Alps), Rumania (the Carpathians), and central Russia (Kaluga, 

 Kazan) . 



Winter range. — Winters south irregularly to Portugal, southern 

 Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, the Cyclades, and Palestine. 



Casual records. — Accidental in Greenland (Nappasoq, Kangdmiut, 

 AngmagssaUk), Jan Mayen, Iceland, and Tangiers. 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA PUSILLA Gloger 



Newfoundland Crossbill 

 Contributed by Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 



Habits 



In Mr. Bent's files was found the following introductory paragraph 

 to his history of this crossbill, which he was the first to recognize as 

 distinct from other North American populations of the species and to 

 describe accurately: 



"While visiting with Dr. Leonard C. Sanford at his camp on Fox 

 Island River in Newfoundland, on June 10, 1912, I noticed two cross- 

 bills which he had recently collected there, which were apparently 

 different from any crossbills I had ever seen from eastern North 

 America. At my suggestion he collected 11 more and loaned them 

 to me for study. After comparing these with what specimens I could 

 find in the museums at New York and Washington, I decided to 

 describe and name the Newfoundland bird as a new subspecies. I 

 (1912) named it Loxia curvirostra percna and assigned to it the follow- 

 ing subspecific characters : 'Similar to Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm) 

 but considerably larger and with a much larger and heavier bill; 

 slightly larger than Loxia curvirostra bendirei Ridgway; but some- 

 what smaller than Loxia curvirostra stricklandi Ridgway. In general 

 coloration darker than any of the American subspecies of Loxia 

 curvirostra; the reds deeper, richer and more brilliant and the greenish 

 yellow shades richer and brighter than in similar plumages of the other 

 forms. Whereas in the summer plumages of other American forms 

 we find only a few of the most highly colored birds with reds equalling 

 flame scarlet, and most of them show only orange chrome or duller 

 shades of red, with loss brilliant greens and yellows; we find in Loxia 



