328 Trees, Stars, and Birds 



The crossbills. These birds get their name from the 

 fact that the tips of the upper and lower mandibles are 

 crossed, making their beaks appear 

 as if deformed. Such beaks enable 

 them to pry apart the scales of cones 

 and so are well adapted to removing 

 the seeds from the cones of pines and 

 other evergreens. They are not 



FIG. 204. Crossbill. 



often seen except where such trees 

 abound. In the United States they are seen mostly in 

 winter, but their migrations are not regular. Their nests, 

 which are placed in evergreens, consist partly of moss. 



Two species, the American crossbill and the white- 

 winged crossbill, are found in Canada and in some 

 parts of the Northern states, though the white- winged 

 crossbill is not common in the States. In both species 

 the males are partly red and the females brown with an 

 olive or yellowish tinge. The red crossbill of Europe is 

 similar to our species. Why is one species called Ameri- 

 can crossbill? What is the legend of the crossbill? 

 See Longfellow's poem, " The Legend of the Crossbill." 



The goldfinch. This bird is commonly called " wild 

 canary." The name is not a good one, for canaries are 

 wild, not in America, but in the Canary, Madeira, and 

 some other islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The bright 

 yellow color of the male goldfinch, together with his black 

 crown, wings, and tail, makes him easy to recognize in 

 summer. The female is of a duller hue. Some individ- 

 uals remain in the North all winter, but at that season a 

 flock of them will show but little yellow. They are 

 among the smallest of the sparrow family. 



