690 LOXIA LEIJCOPTERA. 



its first describers named it the Sickle-billed, and the other the 

 White-winged Crossbill. It is inferior in size to the common 

 species, and somewhat less robust, but otherwise similar in 

 form ; its head being large and broadly ovate ; the eyes small ; 

 as are the nostrils, which are round, and concealed by short 

 bristly plumelets. The bill is rather long, higher than broad 

 even at the base, extremely compressed toward the end, with 

 the mandibles laterally deflected so as to cross each other, as 

 in the common species ; the upper mandible with the dorsal 

 outline convex and deciinate, the sides little convex, the mar- 

 gins united toward the end, so as to form a single cutting edge, 

 the tip extremely thin and much elongated ; the lower mandible 

 with the dorsal line convex and ascending, the edges approxi- 

 mated at the tip, which is extremely compressed and pointed. 

 The tongue is compressed at the base, dilated, concave above, 

 and rounded at the end ; its length three twelfths and a half. 

 The oesophagus, which is two inches and three quarters in 

 length, dilates into a crop proportionally as large as in most 

 gallinaceous birds, its greatest breadth being ten-tvvelfths of an 

 inch, and part of it curving round the right side of the neck. 

 On entering the thorax it contracts to two-twelfths, and, as 

 usual, terminates in a bulbiform proventriculus. The stomach 

 is of rather small size, but muscular, being a roundish gizzard, 

 five-twelfths in length, six-twelfths in breadth, with a dense, 

 longitudinally rugous, reddish epithelium. The intestine is of 

 moderate length and width, measuring ten inches and a half, 

 with an average breadth of two-twelfths. The coeca are little 

 more than a twelfth in length, and an inch and two-twelfths 

 distant from the extremity of the rectum, which is dilated into 

 an oblong cloaca. 



The feet are rather short and strong ; the tarsus short, with 

 seven scutella ; the toes moderate, the first strong, the lateral 

 nearly equal ; the pads and papillre large as in the other spe- 

 cies ; the claws long, arched, much compressed, and pointed. 



The plumage is blended. The wings of moderate length, 

 and pointed ; the first and second quills longest, the third little 

 shorter ; the secondary quills somewhat emarginate. The tail 

 is deeply emarginate, of ordinary length, and considerably 

 divaricate. 



