60 AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 



appellation, I have only followed the steps and dictates of that great 

 Original, whose arrangements ought never to be disregarded by any who 

 would faithfully follow lier. 



The Crossbills are subject to considerable changes of color ; the young 

 males of the present species being, during the first season, olive yellow 

 mixed with ash ; then bright greenish yellow intermixed with spots of 

 dusky olive ; all of which yellow plumage becomes, in the second year, 

 of a light red, having the edges of the tail inclining to yellow. When 

 confined in a cage they usually lose the red color at the first moulting, 

 that tint changing to a brownish yellow, w^hich remains permanent. The 

 same circumstance happens to the Purple Finch and Pine Grosbeak, 

 both of which, when in confinement, exchange their brilliant crimson 

 for a motley garb of light brownish yellow ; as I have had frequent 

 opportunities of observing. 



The male of this species, when in perfect plumage, is five inches and 

 three quarters long, and nine inches in extent ; the bill is a brown horn 

 color, sharp, and single edged towards the extremity, where the mandi- 

 bles cross each other ; the general color of the plumage is a red-lead 

 color, brightest on the rump, generally intermixed on the other parts 

 with touches of olive ; wings and tail brown black, the latter forked, 

 and edged with yellow ; legs and feet brown ; claws large, much curved, 

 and very sharp ; vent white, streaked with dark ash ; base of the bill 

 covered with recumbent down, of a pale brown color ; eye hazel. 



The female is rather less than the male; the bill of a paler horn color; 

 rump, tail coverts and edges of the tail golden yellow ; wings and tail 

 dull brownish black ; the rest of the plumage olive yellow mixed with 

 ash ; legs and feet as in the male. The young males during the first 

 season, as is usual with most other birds, very much resemble the female. 

 In moulting, the males exchange their red for brownish yellow, which 

 gradually brightens into red. Hence at different seasons they differ 

 greatly in color. 



