26 THE WILSON QUAETERLY. 



522. Loxia lencopfera. White-winged Crossbill. 



Both Strong at Milwaukee, and Stone at Lansing, N. Y., 

 find this bird a rare W. V. In Iowa and Ohio it is also a 

 rare W. V., not as well known as the preceding. It seems 

 to be almost an unknown quantity among observers. 



528. Acanthis Unaria. Red-poll. 



Another northern species which visits our northern ob- 

 servers only during the coldest weather. Mr. Strong found 

 it common during the winter of 1889-00, but none 1890-91. 

 Messrs. Clark at Meridian, Wis. and Stone, at Lansing, 

 N. Y., find it abundant from Nov. to Feb. Red-poll comes 

 sweeping into central Iowa in" immense flocks during cold 

 stormy weather. I have seen hundreds on the weeds by 

 the roadside while snow was being driven by a north-west 

 gale. At Oberlin, O., it is only a tolerably common Avinter 

 visitor. 



529. Spinus tristis. Am. Goldfinch. 



Who does not know the Goldfinch ? The variet}' of its 

 local names suggests familiarity. It is the '' Flaxfinch," 

 ''Thistle-bird," " Wild Canary," "Yellow-bird," "Lettuce- 

 bird," Salad-bird/' "Sunflower-bird." It is an ornament 

 to every door-yard. It is an abundant S. R. at Madison 

 and Milwaukee, Wis., and an abundant resident at 

 Lansing, N. Y. At Meridian, Wis. Mr. Clark finds it 

 common all the year, as it also is in Iowa and Ohio. It is 

 perhaps more common during the summer. In Ills, it is 

 common with Mr. Gregory. At Sans Souci, N. C, Mr. 

 Smithwick finds it during the winter only ; while Mr. 

 Donald, at Dacatur, Texas, says, that while some individu- 

 als remain all winter, the most go further south, all coming 

 from the north. At the last two mentioned stations Gold- 

 finch would naturally not remain to breed but migrate 

 north ; but at all the other places we should expect it to be 

 resident. It may not be out of place to mention the fact 

 that Goldfinch changes his plumage to a plain drab in 

 winter, and that his general appearance and even his voice 

 is often so different from his summer habit that he might 

 easily be mistaken for some other sparrow. To you more 



