BIRDS — FKINGILLIDAE — CURVIROSTRA LEUCOPTERA. 



427 



have at hand, (wing 3.65 inches.) No. 8962 has a still larger bill. In fact, there appears to be 

 a great difference in the size of the bill in different specimens, and this indiscriminately in 

 both eastern and western skins. 



The difference between the European and American Crossbills appears to consist chiefly in the 

 larger size, with larger and stouter bill of the former. 



A Loxia mexicana, described by Strickland, is said by Bonaparte to have the same relation- 

 ship to the americana that pytiopsittacus has to curvirostra, namely, a larger bill. I cannot 

 now lay my hand on Mr. Strickland's article, but I doubt whether the characters furnished by 

 a comparison of a small number of specimens will lead to very satisfactory results, in view of 

 the great differences observable in size of bill in specimens from the same locality. 



List of specimens. 



CURVIROSTRA LEUCOPTERA, Wilson, 



White-winged Crossbill. 



Loxia leticoptera, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 540.— Ann. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 467 ; pi. 364.— Ib. Birds Amer. Hi, 1841, 

 190; pi. 201. — BoNAP. Conspectus Av. 1850, 527. — Bon. & Schl Mon. Loxiens, 1850, 8; pi. ix. 

 Curvirostra leucoptera, WiLS. Am. Orn. IV, 1811. 48; pi. xxxi, f. 3. 

 Crucirostra leucoptera, Breum, Naumannia, I, 1853, 254, fig. 20. 

 Loxia falcirostra, Lath. Index Orn. I, 1790,371. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill greatly compressed, and acute towards the point. Male carmine red, tinged with dusky across the back ; the 

 sides of body under the wings streaked with brown ; from the middle of belly to the tail coverts whitish, the latter streaked with 

 brown. Scapulars, wings, and tail black ; the broad bands on the wings across the ends of greater and median coverts ; white 

 spots on the end of the inner tertiariee. 



Female brownish, tinged with olive green in places; feathers of the back and crown with dusky centres; rump bright brownish 

 yellow. 



Length, about 6.25 ; wing, 3.50 ; tail, 2.60. 



Hab. — Northern parts of North America generally 



