24 BIRDS OF NELSON COUNTY. 



cipal food the leaf -buds of trees ; those of the "poplar"' 

 {Liriodendron), being apparently preferred to any other. 

 I have heard them singing in October, but have never 

 seen any birds in the red plumage at that time, all of the 

 males being then in the sombre plumage of the female. 



Genus Loxia. 



73. Lozia. curvirostra americana (Wilson). American Cross- 



bill. 

 A flock of six or eight of these birds appeared here on 

 November 18th, 1882, in some pine trees, the first time I 

 had ever observed them. They remained only a day or 

 two, and none were seen until the 17th of March, follow- 

 ing, when I shot eight out of a flock of about twenty, in 

 the same place where they had previously been seen. Sev- 

 eral flocks were observed about the same time near Bloom- 

 field and Glenville, in this county, and excited considerable 

 comment on account of their queer bills. The weather at 

 the time was quite mild, so their api^earance here was 

 probably due to some other cause. 



Genus Spinus. 



74. *Spinus tristis (Linn.). American Gold-finch. "Yel- 



low-bird." 



An abundant permanent resident ; more so in spring and 

 fall than in summer and winter. Always in flocks, except 

 for a short time while they are nesting. 



75. Spinus pinus (Wilson). Pine Gold-finch. 



I observed two small flocks of this bird here in November, 

 1882. Their habits appeared to be very similar to those 

 of the last species. 



