258 NOUTII A-MEiaCAN lUKDS. 



'I'he t<Kxl (»i this liircl, at tlie tiiiii* wiuMi Dr. NcwltciTV visited its haunts, 

 roTi^istcd (>xelusivi«ly iA' \\u' scnls ol the yellow pine J*. iHnidiriniu), in dis- 

 Itxl^iiiL,' which rroiu tin.- cuin's tiii' hinl displays Ltrcat dexterity. IJuth 

 Maximilian's .lav and Steller's ,Iav Nvert', at that lime, leediuLi on the same 

 set'ds, lait lint so exclusively. 



I M'. Siicklev nldaiiieil a sjtecimeii ol' this l»inl as far oast as Milk iJiver, in 

 Xchraska, alxait two hundred miles east (»!' the iiocky Mountains. 



In (Tifssin^f the Cascade Mountains, in liS.~»:», I)r. Cooper lound these birds 

 <piite ahumlanl on tiie Itanks of the \'akima lliver, and from theiict' norlii 

 wherever thei'e were trees ol the lonn-leaved l>ine, the seeds (»t" which were 

 its jiriiuijtal food. ( )n returninu to \'ancouver durinj4 the severe cold weather 

 of the followiuLr -lanuary, these hirds apj»eared there in considerable num- 

 bers. At no other season of the vear has he met with them west of the 

 Ca.scade Mountains, and believes these migrations we.stward an? »>nlv made 

 in the severest weather. I'hev extend eastward throULjhout \Vashin<'t(»n Ter- 

 ritory, as l)r. Cotiper has shot them at Fort hiramie, and met with a strai;- 

 ^^liuL^' pair even as far east as Fort Kearney. J)r. Cooper has never known 

 these birds to eat anvthini' ex(;e]>t .seeds and berries. Thev rarelv descend to 

 th«! ^'round, and never frecpuMit river-!);inks, or (»ther plaees, for iish or car- 

 rion. They may l»e .seen on the tops of trees extracting seeds from cone.s, 

 haU'^iiuL,' head ilownwards, like a Chickadee. Di'. Coo])er has observed this 

 bird peckini,' at dead bark, in ([uest of insects. When feediui^^ they are very 

 shv, tlvin<4 otf, if approached, to a «j:reat distance before aliuhtin<4. Thev are 

 not known to visit the Coast Mountains south of San F'rancisco, but abound 

 in the llocky Mountains throuj^hout our limits. 



Mr. ^. Iv. Lord notes the arrival of this species at Fort Colville, in May, 

 in larue tlocks. They were hopi)in;4- busily from branch to branch, amidst 

 pine-trees. 



The .statement made to AVilson that this .species fre([uents rivers and sea- 

 shores, and his infeience that its formidable claws indicated that they feed 

 on living animals, is controverted by Mr. Lord. They never frecpient river- 

 banks, never by any chanct' eat fish, and never capture any living thing. 

 Their habits are .strictly arboreal, and their food the seeds of pine-trees. 

 These noisv seed-huntei*s use their formidable claws to enable them to hang 

 on to the pine cones while they are extracting the seed, which they are 

 obliged to get out from under scaly coverings. For this nature has given 

 them feet and claws that .serve the ])ur])o.se of hands, antl a powerful bill, like 

 a small crowbar. The cone nmst be steadied when they ])rv it open, or it 

 would sua]) and fall. One foot clasps it, and the powerful claws hold it 

 firndy. The other foot, encircling a branch, .su]>ports the Ijird in every ])os- 

 sible position, the long grasping claws being ecpial to any emergency. The 

 cone is thus fixed, and the .seeds are forced out from under the scales. Mr. 

 Lord collected a large packet of seeds of the Ahics doiKjlassl from the crops 

 of these birds. 



