PASSERES — FRINGILLIDiE — LOXIA. 183 



THE WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. . 



LoXIA LEUCOPTERA. 

 PLATE LXIII. FIG. 145 (Young male). 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Loxia leucoptera, Gmelin. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 347, 



Curvirostra id. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 4, p. 48, pi. 31, fig. 3 (young male). 



Loxia id. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol.2, p: 117. Id. Am. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 84, pi. 15, fig. 3 (female). 



Nuttall, Manual Orn. Vol.M, p. 540. AudubCn, fol. pi. 364. Rich. & Swainson, F. B. A. 



Vol. 2, p. 263. Peabody, Mass. Rep. p. 331. Audubon, B. of A. Vol.3, p. 190, pi. 201. 



Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 131. 



Characteristics. Carmine red. Wings and tail black ; the former with two white bands. 

 Female, dusky olive ; breast and rump yellow. Length, 6 1 inches. 



Description. The first, second and third quills longest. Tail deeply emarginate ; the 

 feathers acuminate, curved outwards, about an inch longer than the tips of the closed wings. 

 Lower mandible shortest. 



Color, included in the specific phrase ; the posterior white band on the wings broadest. 

 Female, the white bands on the wings narrow. Young, dull yellowish ; beneath spotted and 

 streaked with brown. 



Length, 6-0-6-5. Alar spread, 10'5-11'0. 



This is a northern species, which, although common enough along the shores of Lake 

 Ontario, rarely descends to the southern part of the State, unless when impelled by the 

 severity of the season : it then appears occasionally in large flocks. It probably breeds in 

 this State, as a few have been observed to breed in New-Jersey and Pennsylvania. Its eggs 

 are white, spotted with yellowish. It ranges from 40 to 68° north. Accidental in Europe. 



(EXTRA-LIMITAL.) 



FAMILY PS1TTAC1DM. 



Bill large, short, high, convex above and below, with a cere at the base : upper mandible hooked at 

 the tip; lower shortest. Nostrils open in the cere. Tongue fleshy, short and thick. Toes two 

 before and two behind. Tail of twelve feathers. 



Genus Conurus, Kuhl. Edges of the upper mandible with a deep notch near the tip : lower mandible 

 truncate. Tarsus very short. Second quill longest. Tail long, cuneate, of twelve narrow 

 tapering feathers. 

 C. carolinensis, Parrakeet. (Aud. B. of A. Vol. 3, pi. 278.) Green. Cheeks red ; remainder of the 

 head, neck and throat yellow. Young, uniform green. Length, 14 inches. Southern States. 



Obs. In the year 1795, a large flock of these birds was seen in the middle of winter, 25 miles 

 northwest of Albany ; probably transported by a whirlwind. 



