STURNUS.J AVES INSESSORES. 143 



106. L. leucoptera, Gmel. (White-winged Cross-Bill.) 

 Bill longer than the middle toe : wings with two broad 

 transverse white bars. 



L. leucoptera, Bonap. Amer. Orn. vol. n. pi. 15. f. 3. (Female.) Faun. 

 Bor. Am. vol. n. p. 263. L. falcirostra, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 371. 

 White-winged Cross-bill, Lath. Syn. vol. n. p. 108. Wilson, 

 Amer. Orn. vol. iv. pi. 31. f. 3. 



DIMENS. Entire length six inches three lines : length of the bill (from 

 the forehead) seven lines, (from the gape) seven lines and a half; of the 

 tarsus seven lines and a half; of the tail two inches seven lines; of the 

 wing three inches six lines. Faun. Bor. Am. 



DESCRIPT. {Immature male.) Head, nape, back, rump, and all the 

 under parts, crimson-red, partially spotted with dusky: wings and tail 

 black, the former with two broad, white, transverse bars : region of the 

 bill brown. "As the bird acquires its mature plumage, the red parts 

 change to greenish yellow, the rump assuming a purer yellow. The 

 female and young, before their first moult, are greenish, with yellowish 

 rumps ; their bellies whitish, streaked with blackish brown." Faun. Bor. 

 Am. (Egg.) White, marked with yellowish spots. 



A native of North America, but has been killed in Ireland, in one 

 instance, within two miles of Belfast. Partial to thick forests of white 

 spruce, feeding on the seeds of the cones. Nest generally fixed about 

 half way up a pine-tree, composed of grass, mud, and feathers. Eggs five 

 in number. 



GEN. 32. STURNUS, Linn. 



S. vulgaris, Linn. (Common Starling.) Plumage 

 black, with purple and green reflections ; the feathers 

 tipped with yellowish white. 



S. vulgaris, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 132. Common Starling, 

 Sell). Illust. vol. i. p. 340. pi. 36. f. 1. Starling, Mont. Orn. Diet. 

 Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 105. 



DIMENS. Entire length eight inches four lines: length of the bill 

 (from the forehead) one inch, (from the gape) one inch four lines ; of the 

 tarsus one inch one line ; of the tail two inches seven lines ; from the 

 carpus to the end of the wing four inches ten lines : breadth, wings 

 extended, fifteen inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Male.) General colour of the plumage black, with bril- 

 liant purple and golden-green reflections ; the feathers on the upper parts 

 tipped with small triangular yellowish white spots: quills and tail- 

 feathers dusky brown, with pale reddish edges : under tail-coverts edged 

 with white: bill yellow: feet flesh-red, inclining to brown. In the 

 Female, the spots are more numerous, and diffused over the under as 

 well as the upper parts. In the young of the year previously to the 

 autumnal moult, the plumage is of a uniform cinereous brown without 

 any spots ; the throat and lower part of the abdomen whitish. In this 

 state it is the Solitary Thrush of Montagu. The perfect plumage is 

 probably not attained till the third year. (Egg.) Of a uniform delicate 

 pale blue : long. diam. one inch two lines ; trans, diam. ten lines. 



