BRITISH BIRDS. 83 



Formerly considered a valid species, but recent workers 

 scarcely admit its claim to sub-specific rank. Dis- 

 tinguished from typical birds fry its rather larger size 

 and stouter bill. 



Examples have been taken at intervals in most of our 

 eastern and southern counties, and three or four times in 

 Scotland ; in Ireland it appeared rather commonly in 

 winter of 1890-91 (Zool. 1891, p. 112), but only two 

 examples had been obtained previously. 



102. Loxia bifaseiata (Brehm). TWO-BARRED 

 CROSSBILL. 



Hab. Northern Russia and Siberia. In winter 

 migrating to Central and Western Europe. 



Male : above blackish-slate suffused with scarlet, which 

 largely conceals darker ground tint ; greater and middle 

 wing coverts with broad reddish-white edges and tips, 

 forming two bars ; secondaries also narrowly tipped with 

 reddish-white ; throat and breast rich scarlet ; belly 

 nearly white ; bill brownish-yellow ; tarsi brown. Length 

 5 '80. Female : red tint replaced to a lesser extent by 

 light yellow ; both upper and under parts are also streaked 

 with dark brown. Young : like female but with very 

 little yellow, except on rump, and white wing-bands 

 less distinct. 



A rare straggler. Has been recorded at intervals from 

 nearly all our southern and eastern counties, and twice 

 from Ireland. 



102a. L, bifaseiata leueoptera (Gmelin). 

 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 



Hab. Northern North America, from Alaska to 

 Labrador and Newfoundland. 



G 2 



