THE AMERICAN WHITE- WINGED CROSSBILL. 91 



(North America) has smaller and finer bill (depth at base 7-9), is 

 generally smaller, and brown of tail, wings, scapulars and mantle 

 is considerably darker almost black. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Nests in coniferous forests. Nest. Said to 

 be smaller and slighter than Common Crossbill's, but built in 

 similar way : foundation of fir-twigs and nest of grasses, lichens, 

 moss, and dead leaves, lined roots, lichens, feathers, etc. Eggs. 

 3-4, occasionally 5. Reliable information still unobtainable and 

 eggs ascribed show extraordinary variation. Generally only marked 

 with few bold spots of very dark purplish on greenish-white ground. 

 Eggs described as averaging 20.8 X 14.7 and 23.52 X 16.6 mm., 

 but hardly possible that both can be correct. Breeding-season. 

 From late March to end June, possibly two broods sometimes 

 reared. Incubation. No details. 



FOOD. Chiefly seeds from cones of various pines, spruces, firs, etc. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Rare vagrant. A good many 

 recorded from various parts England, but mostly on eastern side ; 

 in some years (e.g. 1845-6, and autumn 1889) a number together. 

 About eleven authentic records Scotland, and three Ireland. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Forests of north European Russia (and 

 probably west Siberia), more or less irregularly spreading south- 

 westwards at various times of the year. In Siberia a doubtful 

 subspecies. 



[Loxia leucoptera leucoptera Gm. THE AMERICAN WHITE- 

 WINGED CROSSBILL. 



LOXIA LETTCOPTERA Gmelin, Syst. Nat.j, 2, p. 844 (1789 North America). 

 Loxia leucoptera J. F. Gmelin, Yarrell, n, p. 218 ; Saunders, p. 204 

 (in text). 



DESCRIPTION. See under " Characters and Allied Forms " above. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Several recorded occurrences are 

 dealt with by Saunders and in Yarrell, and there are others, but 

 it is doubtful if it has occurred in a truly wild state. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Northern North America. In winter 

 southwards, irregularly as far as North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, 

 Kansas, Colorado, Nevada. Occurs south and east Greenland. 

 Said to have been procured on Heligoland.] 



Genus FRINGILLA L. 



FKINGILLA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 179 (1758 Type by 

 subsequent designation Gray 1840 F. ccelebs ; according to Opinion 16 

 Intern. Comm. Nomencl. also by tautonymy). 



Bill hard, somewhat long, culmen straight, bulging slightly 



