484 



NOKTll AMEUU'AN BIRDS. 



Loxia curvirostra var. americana, Baiup. 



RED OBOSSBILL. 



Ctirvirostra nmerianiii, Wil.s. Am. Oiii. IV, 1811, 44, pi. xx.xi, f. 1, 2. — Baihd, Birds N. 

 Am. ISnS, 4'2t5. — C<>oi'i:!t & Siiki,ky, 198. — D.VM. & U.vnnistkr, Tr. Cli. Ac. I, 

 18G9, 281 (Ala.skii). — I'cidi'KI!, Orii. t'al. I, 148.— S.vmvkls, 291. Loxia amerkam, 

 Bon. List, 1838. — Box. & Scmlkgki,, Moii. Loxicii.s, .'>, tab. vi. — Nkwdkishy, Zoiil. 

 California ami Oregon Uoutf, P. R. 1!. lU-p. VI, iv, 1857, 87. — Bon. & Schi.kgki,, 

 Moil. Lox. .'■>, ]il. vi. Liixia ciirvirostrn, FousTKit, I'hil. Trans. LXII, 1772, No. 23. 

 Aui). Biog. II, 1834, .Wn ; V, 511, 1>1. ixcvii. — In. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 186, pi. cc. 

 " Laviii piisilhi, Illigek" (Bp.). "Loxia fituca, Vieillot" (Bp.). 



Sp. Ciiah. Old male dull red (the shade dideniifr in the specimen, sometimes brick-rod, 

 sometimes vermilion, etc.) ; darkest across the back ; wings and tail dark blackish- 

 brown. YoiiMj male yellowish. Female 

 dull grccni.sh-olive above, each feather with 

 a dusky centre ; rump and crown bright 

 green isli-yellow. Beneath grayish ; tinged, 

 especially on the sides of the body, with 

 greenish-yellow, Fw'/»(7 olive above; whit- 

 ish beneath, conspicuously streaked above 

 and below with blackish. Male about G 

 inches; wing, 3.;]0; tail, 2.25. 



Il.vn. Northern America generally, com- 

 ing southwanl in winter. Resident in the 

 Alleghany and Rocky Mountains. 



Tliere are coiisicUnable diflerences 

 both ill color and size, especially of 

 bill, in sj)cciineiis from various ])arts 

 of North America, and to a loss dt'oree from the same locality. While 

 those of the Atlantic and Pacific coast have bills of much tlie same size, in 

 skins from tiie mountains of California this niemlxir is much stouter; in 

 this character ai)]iroachin<j tiie L. mc.rivnna of Strickland, 

 in wiiich the bill presents its maxinnim of tlie North 

 American form. 



It would not probably be far out of the way to consider 

 the European and all tlie American common Crossbills as 

 the same species, ditferin"; only as races, a d perhaps in- 

 cluding L. himalai/ana, wiiich is smaller even tiian amcri- 

 canu. 



We have not okservcd any American Crossbills with two 

 reddish bands across the win_L(-covcrts, corresponding to the 

 variety ruhrifasciata of Europe, 



L. jn/fiopsitf.iici(s of Europe is .cli the largest of all the 

 species, measitriii.o: seven incJKfs i.i IcnniJi, jind witii the bill 

 seven lines liigli at base. 



fMjriti n/nrricana. 



California. 



