THE MUSEUM. 



57 



usually. I rec:-ill one' season, 1885, 

 when the snow was ven' deep and 

 stayed late. On April first of that 

 year, when snow b inks were three 

 feet high at sides of highway. I found 

 a flock ol sweet .singing males in the 

 woods Often appears by March 15, 

 and visits the t-vergreens of our city. 

 Passing north it is occasionally found 

 summering at fort) -three degrees but 

 does not appear common during breed- 

 ing season, till the forty-fifth parallel 

 is reached. Abundant in Upper Pen- 

 insula and on Macinac Island. South- 

 ern migration-begins in October and 

 lasts even into December. A beauti- 

 ful singer and very interesting species. 

 Builds a Sparrow-like nest which may 

 be found with eg^'s in Maw June and 



July- 



White-winged Crossbill 

 Loxia leucoptcra, Gmel. 

 Another rare species. I have seen 

 but one flock and that one of but a few 

 birds. More often seen as a straggler 

 in flocks of the next species. Once 

 observed a specimen at forty-second 

 degree as late as May third. Like the 

 following this bird is very partial to 

 pine cone seeds, and seems to prefer 

 the evergreen trees, where it feeds on 

 the cones, when in the city. It is a 

 handsome species and may be readily 

 distinguished by the white spots on the 

 wings. 



Red or Common Crossbill, 

 Loxia cnrvii'ostra minor. 

 This bird undoubtedly breeds 

 throughout Michigan in the pine belt 

 north of 43 degrees but there are no 

 reports of the finds of nests. I have 

 taken it at all seasons at the north. 

 It is readily distinguished by its pecul- 



iar undulating flights and its notes 

 clt-cp deep deep. It feeds on seeds 

 preferring coniferous trees. 



Lesser Red-poll, 

 Aeantliis liiiaria, Linn 

 Not rare in Michigan from late Nov- 

 ember to well into April, but of very 

 uncertain appearance. Appears on 

 our southern boundary about one sea- 

 son out of three. Do not think that it 

 remains during the summer in the 

 state. When these birds appear in 

 our southern counties there is about 

 one brilliantly colored male to every 

 twenty dull colored birds. 



Holbell's Red-poll, 

 Aeantliis linaria Iiolballii. 

 A well marked specimen from Kal- 

 amazoo county, was submitted to 

 Robert Ridgeway, Esq. of the Smith- 

 sonian Institute, for identification. It 

 is remarkably similar to the Lesser 

 Red-poll, except that it is larger in its 

 dimensions. It was secured in the 

 early winter of 1878. 



Pine Linnet or Siskin. 

 Spiniis piniis, Wils. 

 Very abundant north of the forty- 

 fourth parallel as late as the last of 

 May. Still I have been unable to 

 prove that they nested, although I am 

 sure they were in breeding plumage, 

 and they sung sweetly and very vivac- 

 iously. Not rare in winter in our 

 southern counties. Have seen great 

 flocks- in January, particularly were, 

 they abundant in t888. I have seen 

 them here again in May, apparently 

 in migration north. Have never found 

 the birds far removed from pineries. 

 \\'hen in the cities the pleasing but 

 plain colored birds flock to our thick 

 evergreens. The distinguishing note 

 is sqiie aek or sqiia ivee. 



