6.1 



in the same place where they had previously been seen. Several Hocks 

 were observed about the same time near Bloomfield and Glenville in this 

 county, and excited considerable comment on account of their queer 

 bills. The weather at the time was quite mild, so that their appearance 

 here was probably due to some other cause." 



The winter of 1S82-3 they were unusually abundant in many localities 

 between the great lakes and the Ohio river. Prof. B. W. Evermann first 

 observed them at Bloomington, Indiana, February 10, 1893. This was the 

 second record for the state. For some time after they were common in 

 Monroe county. March 15, 1883, Mr. E. R. Quick reported having seen a 

 single specimen near Brookville, Indiana. April 2, my attention was at- 

 tracted to a peculiar crackling sound which came from among the pine trees 

 in my yard at Brookville. Close investigation revealed the fact that the 

 cause was a lot of Crossbills. They were shelling the seeds out of the pine 

 -cones and the breaking of the cone scales made the sound which attracted 

 my attention. I observed others were upon the ground feeding upon the 

 seeds of the fallen cones. April 3 I saw six more in my yard. April 4 

 I saw one in a flock of Pine Finches. April 5 Mr. Quick noted one. Of 

 those observed but one was in the red plnmage. Prof. B. W. Evermann 

 saw a few at Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana, the middle of March, 1883. 

 At the same place about twelve were seen December 26, 1884. Mr. J. W. 

 Byrkit informs me that they were very abundant at Michigan City, Ind., 

 in the winter of 1883-4. Miss IT. E. Colfax, in her report of the bird noted 

 at the light house, at the same place, gives it January 16, 1884. In the 

 winter of 1883-4 Prof. Evermann reported them very common in Monroe 

 County, Ind. The Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. VIII., p. 68, contains an 

 account by A. H. Helme of their breeding April 10, 1883, near Miller's Point, 

 L. I. Mr. Robert Ridgway (The Auk. Vol. I., p. 292), notes the proba- 

 ble breeding of the Red Crossbill in central Maryland in May, 1884. Mr. F. 

 C. Brown reported their breeding in Eastern Massachusetts in the summer 

 of 1884 (The Auk., Vol. II., p. 105^. In the winter of 1884-5 they were tol- 

 erably common in Monroe county, Ind. (W. S. Blatchley, Hoosier Natu- 

 ralist, 1886, p. 170). The late Mr. C. H. Bollman noted them " quite com- 

 mon," in the same county through March, April and early May 1885. 

 He saw them first March 2, and last observed them May 12. Mr. J. 

 W. Byrkit informed me that he saw the first Crossbills for the year March 

 24, 1885. He adds : " I am not quite positive but think the Crossbill 

 breeds here (Michigan City), as they make their appearance about this 



