2l8 FRINGILLID^E : FINCHES. 



able ; the rather flat and shallow structure being usu- 

 ally lined with hairs. The eggs, to the number of four 

 or five, are pale dull greenish or almost whitish in 

 ground-color, sparsely sprinkled and scratched, chiefly 

 at the larger end, with rather small blackish surface- 

 markings and lilac shell-spots ; they measure about 

 0.85 by 0.65. Both nest and eggs may remind one 

 of the Chipping Sparrow's on a large scale. Two sets 

 are commonly laid, at least in southern New England ; 

 the first about the end of May, the next in July. The 

 male does not gain his full dress the first year, and 

 more gray than red birds are always to be seen. 



WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 



LOXIA LEUCOPTERA Gm. 



Chars. Male, adult : Rosy-red ; feathers of the back dark-centred ; 

 wings and tail blackish, the former with two conspicuous white 

 cross-bars. Bill horn-color ; both mandibles falcate, with crossed 

 points. The shade of red varies greatly, but is never bricky or 

 cinnabar, as in the other species of Loxia. Female and young : 

 Olive-brown, the feathers dark-centred; rump saffron or gam- 

 boge yellow ; wing-bars present. Length, 5.75-6.00 ; wing, 3.40 ; 

 tail, 2.25, forked ; bill, 0.65 ; tarsus, 0.65. 



In the Canadian Fauna resident ; elsewhere in New 

 England an irregular winter visitor, of greater or less 

 rarity. The bird has however been seen in Massachu- 

 setts in summer, Mr. Maynard having taken a speci- 

 men at Newtonville in June. The Crossbills of both 

 species are birds of the most strongly-marked origi- 

 nality of character, and it is never safe to predict what 

 they may or may not be found about. Their most re- 



