CROSSBILL 429 



color is distributed rather generally over the under surface of the body, 

 and on the head and rump. It is least in evidence on the back and 

 practically absent on the wings and tail. Females are different in color 

 from most males, in that they retain the gray plumage, tinged with greenish 

 or at most with a suggestion of yellow^, throughout life. The young of 

 both sexes are streaked on the under surface of the body, looking at this 

 time much like the female of a California Purple Finch. 



At Tuolumne Meadows on September 28, 1915, three crossbills came 

 to the seepage area within 75 feet of the log hut which protected the main 

 outlet of the soda springs. The birds seemed to drink, stayed a few 

 minutes, and then flew to a lodgepole pine close to the Sierra Club lodge. 

 There they set to work on the new cones, hanging head doA\Tiward as they 

 worked at the ends of the terminal twigs. They gave an occasional chirp, 

 and when one of the birds started to fly this note was repeated often in 

 couplets, chip-chip, chip-chip, chip-chip, reminding one of the chirps given 

 by linnets under similar circumstances. The flight, too, was suggestive 

 of that of the latter bird. One of these crossbills w^as a male in the red 

 livery^ whereas the other two were evidently females. Later, the birds 

 descended to the ground and foraged among the fallen debris. Another 

 small assemblage composed of a red male, an orange-colored male, and 

 two supposed females, was seen momentarily at Mono Mills on June 10, 

 1916, as they came to drink at a tub near a water tank. On this occasion 

 the observer remarked upon the resemblance of the birds in voice and 

 flight to goldfinches. 



At Hazel Green a mixed flock of finches, comprising 8 or 10 Sierra 

 Crossbills, about half a dozen California Evening Grosbeaks, and about 

 a dozen Cassin Purple Finches, was seen industriously foraging in the 

 chaff at the side of an old stage barn early on the morning of May 14, 

 1919. This assemblage seemed to stay together for the morning meal, 

 but broke up as the day progressed. By hiding inside the barn the 

 observer was able to get within a yard of the birds without arousing their 

 fear and so to watch closely their movements. The crossbills seemed to 

 take the preferred positions and were less wary than the other two species. 

 When hunting in the chaff, the crossbills used their pinkish tongues 

 repeatedly and opened their bills wider than the other finches, probably 

 because of the peculiar form of their mandibles. When taking flight the 

 birds separated into pairs, although as stated elsewhere it was not likely 

 that they were nesting at the time. 



These crossbills usually uttered their notes when in flight or when 

 just about to take flight. The notes were uttered in chains of three, 

 with diminishing emphasis toward the end, chup' , chiip , chiip; chup' , 

 cMip , chap. In flight the notes were given in unison with their aerial 



