THE AMERICAN WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 91 



(North America) has smaller and finer bill (depth at base 7-9), is 

 generally smaller, and brown of tail, wings, scapulars and mantle 

 is considerably darker — almost black. 



Breeding-habits. — ^Nests in coniferous forests. Nest. — Said to 

 be smaller and slighter than Common Crossbill's, but built in 

 similar way : foundation of fir-twigs and nest of grasses, lichens, 

 moss, and dead leaves, lined roots, lichens, feathers, etc. Eggs. — 

 3-4, occasionally 5. Reliable information still imobtainable and 

 eggs ascribed show extraordinary variation. Generally only marked 

 with few bold spots of very dark pm^jlish on greenish-white groimd. 

 Eggs described as averaging 20.8 X 14.7 and 23.52 X 16.6 mm., 

 but hardly possible that both can be correct. Breeding-season. — 

 From late March to end June, possibly two broods sometimes 

 reared. Incubation. — ^No details. 



Food. — Chiefly seeds from cones of various pines, spruces, firs, etc. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. A good many 

 recorded from various parts England, but mostly on eastern side ; 

 in some years (e.g. 1845-6, and autumn 1889) a number together. 

 About eleven authentic records Scotland, and three Ireland. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Forests of north European Russia (and 

 probably west Siberia), more or less irregularly spreading south- 

 westwards at various times of the year. In Siberia a doubtful 

 subspecies. 



[Loxia leucoptera leucoptera Gm.— THE AMERICAN WHITE- 

 WINGED CROSSBILL. 



Loxia leucoptera Gmelin, Syst. Nat.,T, 2, p. 844 (1789 — North America). 

 Loxia leucoptera J. F. Gmelin, Yarrell, ii, p. 218 ; Saimders, p. 204 

 (in text). 



Description. — See under " Characters and Allied Forms " above. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Several recorded occurrences are 

 dealt with by Saunders and in Yarrell, and there are others, but 

 it is doubtful if it has occurred in a truly wild state. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Northern North America. In winter 

 southwards, irregularly as far as North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, 

 Kansas, Colorado, Nevada. Occurs south and east Greenland. 

 Said to have been procured on Heligoland.] 



Genus FRINGILLA L. 



Fringilla Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 179 (1758 — ^Type by 

 subsequent designation — Gray 1840 — F. coelebs ; according to Opinion 1(5 

 Intern. Comm. Nomencl. also by tautonymy). 



Bill hard, somewhat long, culmen straight, bulging slightly 



