442 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



vicinity were probably crossbills but of this he was not certain. 

 There are no other records at present for Haiti. 



Of the extensive series at present in the American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History from the Beck collection eleven skins are immature 

 birds, fully grown in that they were on the wing, but not yet fully 

 adult as the primaries are not quite at maximum size and in some 

 the bill is not fully developed. The youngest is a female taken 

 March 10, 1917, which has the bill only one half as large as in the 

 adult. This bird is more sharply and definitely streaked below than 

 adult females, with the light areas whiter and more extensive. The 

 crown is dusky, mottled heavily with white. The wing bars appear 

 as in the adult. One taken March 5 has the tail only partly grown. 

 The juvenal plumage just described seems of brief duration, follow- 

 ing which there is molt over the body into first fall plumage. The 

 rectrices and remiges are retained from the juvenal stage. Two males 

 are molting from juvenal dress into a plumage showing much orange 

 on the head and under surface of the body. They have as yet no 

 deep red though the molt is not complete. Four adult males show 

 the usual variation in crossbills of this sex from deep red to Orange 

 in different parts of the plumage or in different individuals. One is 

 almost entirely orange. 



Following are measurements of adults, examined by Wetmore : 



Males, six specimens, wing 85.5-90.2 (88.2), tail 56.3-60.8 (58.5), 

 culmen from base 19.0-20.3 (19.7), tarsus 17.5-18.2 (17.7) mm. 



Females, five specimens, wing 81.8-84.2 (82.9), tail 52.8-56.3 

 (54.8), culmen from base 18.2-19.8 (18.8), tarsus 17.0-18.1 (17.6) mm. 



Type, male, wing 85.5, tail 57.0, culmen from base 19.0, tarsus 

 17.8 mm. 



The degree of relationship to be accorded the three principal 

 forms of white-winged crossbills now known, bifasciata of northern 

 Europe, leucoptera of northern North America, and megaplaga of 

 Hispaniola is at present uncertain. Loxia leucoptera is a smaller 

 form with small, delicately formed bill and extensive white in the 

 wing bars. Loxia bifasciata is larger, with much larger bill and 

 less extent of white in the wing markings, according to the few 

 specimens seen. Loxia megaplaga of Hispaniola combines the 

 bodily dimensions of leucoptera with the restricted white wing bars 

 of bifasciata, and has a bill even heavier than in the European bird. 

 Obviously the three are from a common stock but since intergrades 

 are not definitely known, in view of the geographic separation of 

 their ranges the three are here accorded full specific rank. The com- 

 ing of the crossbill to Hispaniola may be believed to date back at 

 least to the Pleistocene. 



