VO 'i^07 IV l Peabody, Crossbills of Northeastern Wyoming. Ill 



appeared to be a family of the past summer, still together. The 

 adult male was still not an adult, if the reader will permit the con- 

 tradiction. His plumage was still semi-juvenile. Yet he was in 

 breeding condition, the testicles being of nearly maximum size 

 The testicles of the Red Crossbill are relatively very small; and, 

 moreover, the two diameters are nearly equal. Measurements 

 taken at various times during the breeding season gave the diam- 

 eters .20 and .19 as about the maximals. For the November 27 

 male just referred to, the diameters were .17 and .19. The mature 

 female of the November 27 family had the ova slightly nascent. 

 The two juveniles were both females with ovaries inactive. All 

 four birds were slightly moulting. Crossbills continued few into 

 December, in both counties. A mature female taken December 

 9 had two or three ova enlarged about one diameter Data ob- 

 tained from December to late March were both meager and incon- 

 clusive. However, a male taken March 10 had the testicles quite 

 shrunken (only .15 X 17), while his mate (which was shot acci- 

 dentally) was manifestly incubating. 



Four days later, March 14, in a driving snowstorm, I found a 

 finely plumaged male feeding a fully fledged young female. These 

 two birds were taken a few days later, in the midst of intense cold. 

 No sign of the mother bird was seen, nor did a careful search reveal 

 a second nesting. 



All through the summer of 1906, as careful and exact a study 

 as possible was made of the actions of the breeding birds. It was 

 found that, while normally as tame as one might expect from all 

 analogies, both males and females were very shy and restless during 

 March, April and May. The excited chill-chUl-chill note was 

 often heard; and individuals of both sexes might be occasionally 

 seen and heard perched high on the summits of dead-topped pines, 

 with every possible manifestation of nervous unrest and anxiety, 

 and after a brief moment, and without apparent cause, flying 

 swiftly away and disappearing in the distance. During the period 

 indicated most birds appeared to be in pairs; those that were not 

 in pairs being adjudged to be non-breeding birds. No nests, what- 

 ever, came to light during 1906. Strong effort was made all 

 through the summer to learn the utmost possible as to nesting 

 habits and ways. And yet, notwithstanding an abundance of pine 



