14 Hill, Wh!te--Mi}iged Crossbill in Captivity. \j^n. 



Crossbill is always ungallant and "■ wants the first serving and the 

 second joint." 



They can pick up bird seed as deftly as any canary, though if 

 the seed is on the bottom of the cage, they turn their heads a 

 little on one side, seemingly to give their bills a better chance, but 

 if the seed cup is full they have no trouble and always get their 

 full share, being quicker than the other birds in their movements. 

 But it is when a handful of larch or pine cones are given them 

 that the crossed mandibles come into play ; if the cones are small 

 they fly to their perches with them, and holding them under their 

 feet deftly extract the seeds. Should the cones be too large, they 

 will roll them over and over until every seed is extracted, cheeping 

 the while ; if the cones are left on the branch they will hang head 

 downward,- if need be, in order that they may the more easily get 

 at the seeds, of which they are very fond. 



I was particularly interested in noting closely the moulting of the 

 birds — especially the male — to again verify, if possible, the 

 observations of Mr. Ora W. Knight of Bangor, Maine, who has so 

 minutely described the moult of the Pine Grosbeak in captivity, in 

 ' The Auk ' (Vol. XIII, p. 21-24), viz. : " the red plumage chang- 

 ing to orange yellow — at the first moult." 



Observations on the Crossbills show that' in the last week of 

 August the male ceases singing, and by the middle of September 

 he has lost most of his large flight feathers, which are replaced by 

 the first week of November; then the smaller body feathers are 

 gradually replaced by orange hued feathers, slightly marked with 

 dusky on the head and body, the rump being bright canary instead 

 of the rich, rosy red hues that adorn them in their wild state ; 

 thus showing that not only the Pine Grosbeak but the White- 

 winged Crossbill also loses the characteristic bright colors in 

 the first moult in captivity, rose turning to orange yellow. The 

 bills and feet are also light colored, viz. : the olive green in the 

 female is less pronounced. By December the moult is complete, 

 but the male bird does not find voice till January to sing his low, 

 sweet song, so much resembling the Goldfinch's, and with which 

 our pet Crossbill ushers in the day and repeats at intervals. 



These birds at this writing (Nov. 1 1, 1901) are in perfect health, 

 and the only annoyance is that the bill and feet grow so hooked 



