418 HISTORY OF THE 



and tail darkish brown. Young male yellowish. Female: Dull greenish olive 

 above, each feather with a dusky center; rump and crown bright greenish yellow. 

 Beneath grayish; tinged (especially on the sides of the body) with greenish yel- 

 low. Young: Olive above; whitish beneath, conspicuously streaked above and 

 below with blackish." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing: Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 6.10 10.25 3.40 2.35 .65 .62 



Female... 5.90 10.00 3.30 2.17 .63 .60 



Iris, bill, legs, feet and claws dark brown, the bill with a 

 bluish hue. 



These social, gregarious birds inhabit the coniferous forests, 

 feeding chiefly upon the seeds extracted from the cones. When 

 far away from their natural haunts, seldom stop, even to rest, 

 except in the vicinity of scattering cedars to be met with on the 

 rocky bluffs and banks of our prairie streams, or where ever- 

 green trees have been planted to beautify and shade the dwell- 

 ing grounds, parks, etc. As soon as such trees mature and are 

 in numbers to furnish a sufficient supply of food, I am confident 

 the birds will become winter sojourners, but not common, as 

 will be the case with the Mexican variety, which I predict will 

 become an occasional resident. 



They are noisy birds, that often utter their sharp call note, 

 and chatter in their undulating flights. The males have a varied 

 and somewhat pleasing song, that I have often heard in the 

 depth of winter in their northern homes. They are peculiar in 

 their structure, and in actions much like the Parrot family, using 

 their bills in climbing about among the branches, swinging at 

 the extremity of limbs, usually hanging head downward while 

 extracting seeds from the cones, and while eating often hold 

 their food in the claws of one foot. Wilson says: 



"On first glancing at the bill of this extraordinary bird, one 

 is apt to pronounce it deformed and monstrous; but on atten- 

 tively observing the use to which it is applied by the owner, 

 and the dexterity with which he detaches the seeds of the pine 

 tree from the cone, and from the husks that enclose them, we 

 are obliged to confess on this, as on many other occasions, 

 where we have judged too hastily of the operations of nature: 

 that no other conformation could have been so excellently 

 adapted to the purpose." 



