THE PINE GBOSHBAK. 179 



visitant either in Holland or France, but an inhabitant of Ger- 

 many and the parts of the European continent further north. 

 MACGILLIVBAY gives the admeasurement of a large example of 

 the species as follows : " Length to the end of the tail eight 

 inches ; wing from flexure, four inches three-twelfths." 



We have another species of Crossbills not mentioned by BECH- 

 RTEIN, called the White-winged Crossbill (Loxia falcirostra, 

 PENN.), said to be identical with the North American variety (L. 

 leticoptera), described by AUDUBON, BONAPABTE, and RICHARD- 

 SON as not uncommon in the Western continent, and alluded to 

 by GLOGEK, NILSSON, BEEHM, and other European naturalists, 

 who speak of it as very rare. In this country not more than 

 four or five specimens appear to have been taken. The whole 

 length of this bird is stated to be about six inches. 



67. THE PINE GROSBEAK. 



Loxia Enucleator, LIN. Darbec ou Grosbec de Canada, BUF. Der Haken 

 Kreuzschnabel oder Fichten Kernbeisser, BECH. 



Description. This bird resembles the other Grosbeaks in 

 form and habit of life, except that the lower does not cross 

 over the upper mandible. The latter, however, is provided 

 with a large hook or claw. This is the largest of the German 

 Grosbeaks ; being about the size of the Bohemian Chatterer, 

 eight inches and a half long, of which the tail measures three 

 inches. The beak is six lines long, short and thick ; the 

 upper mandible being dark brown in colour, and bent so as to 

 cross the lower considerably. The feet are one inch in height, 

 and blackish brown. The head, neck, breast, and rump, are 

 a light carmine, tinged with blue. From the nostrils, which 

 are covered with dark brown feathers, a black line runs as far 

 as the eyes. The feathers of the back, and upper wing coverts, 

 are black, edged with red ; the larger wing coverts are similar, 

 but in addition tipped with white, which produces two trans- 

 verse stripes upon the wings. The pen feathers are blaek ; 

 the larger ones edged with grey, the shorter being white on the 

 outer margin only. The belly and vent are ash-coloured ; the 

 tail is somewhat forked, and marked like the pen feathers. 



The prevailing colour of the female is greyish green, tinged 

 here and there, especially on the top of the head, with pale red 

 or yellow. 



Whether in a wild state the plumage of this bird changes 

 its colour, as is the case with the last-mentioned species, is 



