WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 52] 



Newtom'illt' in A]))'i]. is n i-at'irv Inw. onifiimDUs wurlilc. Wlit'ii t'ci'dinji'. then- eoiiverso 

 tou'otlier ill low murmuriiig notes, much as I have heard parrots do under similar circum- 

 stances. The Crossljills also resemble parrots in their method of clinging to the cones, 

 from which they extract the seeds so de.xtrously ; for in their efl'orts to reacli the iiiider- 

 r^ide of the cones they hang in all positions. fi\M|nently e\en IumiI dnwnward anil I ha\-e 

 often watched the Parokeets assuming similar attitudes when gathering t'.ie huge cones 

 of the large ]iines of Floiida. 



LOXIA LEUCOPTERA 

 White-Winged Crossbill. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Ch. Size, ab'iut that of the Rc'l Crossbill, but the former is a little more slender, ami the bill much 

 more slender. Color. Adult male. Rosy red, with abdomen, under-tail and wing coverts, whitish, 

 slighth' streaked with dusky on the flanks. Wings and tail, sooty brown, with the lesser and greater coverts 

 of the wing, and tip of tertiaries. white. Female, with wings similar, but greenish, much as in the Red 

 Crossbill, but rather more yellowish. Young male, similar to the female, and all stages of mi.xed plumage 

 occur as in the Red Crossbill. Nestlings, streaked throughout with dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Distinguished in all stages of plumage from the Red Crossbill by the white on wing. Distribution 

 somewhat similar to that of the Red Crossbill, but the breeding range is higher, from northern New 

 England northward, and they do not wander as far south even in winter. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length. 6.00 to 6.75 ; stretch, 9.20 to 10.55; wing, 3 05 to 3.45 ; tail, 2.m to 2.50 ; bill, .55 to .70; 

 tarsus, .oa to 65. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees, composed of twigs, lined with fine shreds of inner bark and hair. EofiS, four or 

 five in number, oval in form, pale blue in color, thickly dotted on the larger end with black and ashy lilac. 

 Dimensions, .56 by .80 to .oiS by .82. 



HABITS. 



While in a general way tlie Iiahits of the "V\lute-winged Crossbill resemble those of 

 the Red Crossbill they diflfer in some important particulars. For example, I thiuk that 

 the White-wings are less true nomads, that is, they have, at least as a species, fixed 

 abodes. Thus T am sure that the White-wings bi^eed every season on the Magdalen- 

 Islands. But they appear tf) nest there somewhat irregularly. T ha\e seen fully grown 

 young taken there in July which must have been hatched from eggs that Avere deposited 

 in May, at which time the Magdalcns are covered with snow. I also heard the males 

 singing on Bryon Island, one of the Magdalcns, in July, a mmiber of years ago, exactly as 

 if they were gomg to breed. Massachusetts is occasionally innudated with White-winged 

 Crossbills, but they are seldom very common here. The most notable visit Avhich Ave ever 

 had, that came luider my notice, was in the winter of 1868-69. That season it appeared 

 ill great numbers in Albany, Maine, as early as October 21st, and during the first week in 

 December it was common at Ipswich, Mass., then a few days later appeared in Newton, 



