iS86.] Dyche on the Red Crossbill t'li Kansas. 26 I 



referred to L. c. bendirci, but this proposed race was rejected by the 

 A. O. U. Committee in drafting the Check List, and, I believe, wisely. 



North American Red Crossbills from whatever locality vary excessively 

 in size as well as color. The largest birds occur in Southern Arizona and 

 Mexico, but in a series of twenty specimens from the former region I find 

 a number which are sinaller in every respect than the largest Colorado 

 examples, and several which are also smaller than our largest New Eng- 

 land birds. 



I have recently examined upwards of one hundred of the latter taken in 

 Northern New England at the height of their breeding season (February). 

 All were shot by the same collector in the course of two or three days and 

 in the same locality. The diversity in general size, size and shape of bill, 

 and color, which they present is enough to convince any one that these 

 characters are subject to a wide range of variation and are not dependent, 

 except within broad limits, on geographical considerations. Three or 

 four of the largest birds are larger, in every way, than the small extremes 

 among the Arizona specimens ; many would come within the limits 

 of size established by Mr. Ridgway for bendirei: while the remainder 

 would be referable to minor ( = americana)., the smallest of the three 

 forms. Between the largest and smallest birds there is a perfect connect- 

 ing series. There is great diversitv in respect to the size and shape of the 

 bill. The mandibles are short and heavy in some specimens, long and 

 slender in others. In some the upper and lower mandibles are nearly 

 equal in thickness (a character ascribed to 5//'/r>^/^«f//), in the majority 

 the upper mandible is much the heavier of the two. 



Mr. Ridgway gives bendirei as occurring in winter, in Massachusetts 

 Minor associates with it at all seasons and both breed together in the 

 same woods in Northern New England. Is it possible to separate them 

 into two races under such conditions.-' I believe not, for it seems obvious 

 that the variations just referred to are either purely individual or dependent 

 on age — it matters little which in the present connection. Nevertheless, 

 upon dividing all the material before me into two series, one of eastern, 

 the other of western birds, I find that the latter average considerably 

 larger, with relatively as well as actually stouter bills. There seems to be a 

 reasonably constant diff'erence in color, also, the western females being 

 grayer with less and duller green or yellowish on the back, breast and 

 rump, the males of a deeper, richer red than the eastern birds. 



A consistent and satisfactory arrangement, as it seems to me, would be 

 to refer all eastern birds to minor {= americana), all western ones to 

 stricklandi. In any case Mr. Dyche's specimens, as well as all that I 

 have seen from Colorado, are apparently much nearer related to the 

 .sV/'/c^/f^y/t// of Southern Arizona than they are to the Crossbill of our east- 

 ern coniferous forests. — William Brewster.] 



