FAMILY Fringillide. 
New England and in northern and western Massachusetts 
have been large and the movement has been widespread.” 
This Pine Grosbeak is nearly as large as the Robin, and 
his coloring is far more beautiful; the crown, back of the 
neck and breast strongly overlaid with rose madder or rose 
lake, the under color light slate gray, under parts entirely 
a lighter gray, wings and tail sepia, the wings with two 
nearly white bars and whitish edgings on the longer feath- 
ers, the back and rump marked with rose red and sepia; 
some individuals are far more roseate than others. Nest, 
in coniferous trees, a few feet from the ground, built of 
twigs and rootlets, lined with softer materials. Egg, light 
green-blue flecked with lavender and umber brown. The 
range of this species is distinctly within the Hudsonian 
zone and extends from Alaska through the coniferous for- 
ests to northern Maine; southward from Canada it is only 
a winter visitant. It feeds largely upon the berries of the 
mountain ash (Pyrus sitchensis in particular), and the seeds 
of sumac, wild apple, hawthorn, and the coniferous trees. 
The Pine Grosbeak possesses, like his congener the Pur- 
ple Finch, a prolonged, melodious warble; the song is not 
unlike that of Rose-breasted Grosbeak without the burring 
quality and with many clear whistled notes like those of 
the Cardinal. I have no record of the song, but the high: 
whistled call note, similar to that of the so-called Yellow: 
leg of the sea-shore marshes, is distinctly musical: 
Twice 8va. 
> 
lie.’ 
Red Crossbill This Red, or American, Crossbill is a 
Bexiaicurst. boreal species which is not uncommonly a 
rostra minor 4 
L.6.25inches Permanent resident of the coniferous forests 
December rst in the extreme northern parts of New Eng- 
to April rsth = Jand and New York. The points of the up- 
per and lower mandibles are twisted one over the other, and 
are consequently remarkably adapted for the extraction of 
seed from the cones of the evergreens. This case of special 
adaptation is an extreme instance of utility versus esthet- 
278 
