FINCHES. 37 



remarkable habit of breeding in winter, or very 

 early in spring, while the weather is still severe. 

 The mandibles are hooked and their points are 

 crossed. This structure enables them to part the 

 scales of cones and readily abstract the seeds on 

 which they feed. 



The American Crossbill (L. Americana) is also 

 a red -plumed bird, but has no white bars on its 

 wings. Large flocks sometimes come in late 

 autumn about our spruce groves, feeding on the 

 seeds. They are exceedingly tame and easily 

 approached. 



The Red - poll Linnet (^■Egiothus linaria) is 

 one of our common winter birds, though some 

 winters it is scarcely seen at all. In size it is 

 less than a Sparrow ; color above dusky streaked 

 with flaxen ; crown dull crimson ; under parts 

 white, heavily streaked with dusky. Males, in 

 late winter, may be seen with rosy breasts and 

 rumps. In autumn these little birds come in 

 compact flocks wandering from grove to grove in 

 search of the ripened seeds of th.e yellow birches. 

 On the swaying top of one of these great trees 

 they make a happy company, rifling the abundant 

 seeds and keeping each other society with soft, 



