158 AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 



days the gloomy recesses of that extensive and desolate morass, 

 without being able to discover a single Crossbill. In fall, how- 

 ever, as well as in winter and spring, this tract appears to be 

 their favourite rendezvous; particularly about the head waters 

 of the Lehigh, the banks of the Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, and 

 Bear creek, where I have myself killed them at these seasons. 

 They then appear in large flocks, feeding on the seeds of the 

 hemlock and white pine, have a loud, sharp, and not unmusical 

 note; chatter as they fly; alight during the prevalence of deep 

 snows before the door of the hunter, and around the house, 

 picking off the clay with which the logs are plastered, and 

 searching in corners where urine or any substance of a saline 

 quality had been thrown. At such times they are so tame as 

 only to settle on the roof of the cabin when disturbed, and a 

 moment after descend to feed as before. They are then easily 

 caught in traps; and will frequently permit one to approach so 

 near as to knock them down with a stick. Those killed and 

 opened at such times, are generally found to have the stomach 

 filled with a soft greasy kind of earth or clay. When kept in a 

 cage they have many of the habits of the Parrot; often climbing 

 along the wires; and using their feet to grasp the cones in, while 

 taking out the seeds. 



This same species is found in Nova Scotia, and as far north 

 as Hudson's bay, arriving at Severn river about the latter end 

 of May; and, according to accounts, proceeding farther north to 

 breed. It is added, that "they return at the first setting in of 

 frost."* 



Hitherto this bird has, as usual, been considered a mere va- 

 riety of the European species; though differing from it in several 

 respects; and being nearly one-third less; and although the singu- 

 lar conformation of the bill of these birds and their peculiarity 

 of manners are strikingly different from those of the Grosbeaks, 

 yet many, disregarding these plain and obvious discriminations, 

 still continue to consider them as belonging to the genus Loxia; 

 as if the particular structure of the bill should, in all cases but 



* Pennant. 



