Conspicuously Red of any Shade 



feathers, shining against the dark-green background of the trees, 

 give them charming prominence; but they also feed freely upon 

 the buds of various deciduous trees. 



South of Canada we may not look for them except in the 

 severest winter weather. Kven then their coming is not to be 

 positively depended upon ; but when their caprice— or was it an 

 unusually fierce northern blast .^— sends them over the Canada 

 border, it is a simple matter to identify them when such brilliant 

 birds are rare. The brownish-yellow and grayish females and 

 young males, however, always seem to be in the majority with 

 us, though our Canadian friends assure us of the irreproachable 

 morals of this gay bird. 



Wherever there are clusters of pine or cedar trees, when 

 there is a flock of pine grosbeaks in the neighborhood, you may 

 expect to And a pair of birds diligently feeding upon the seeds 

 and berries. No cheerful note escapes them as they persistently 

 gormandize, and, if the truth must be confessed, they appear to 

 be rather stupid and uninteresting, albeit they visit us at a time 

 when we are most inclined to rapture over our bird visitors. 

 They are said to have a deliciously sweet song in the nesting 

 season, when, however, few except the Canadian voyageurs 

 hear it. 



American Crossbill 



(Loxia curvirostra minor) Finch family 



Called also: RED CROSSBILL 



Length — 6 to 7 inches. About the size of the English sparrow. 

 Male — General color Indian red, passing into brownish gray, with 



red tinge beneath. Wings (without bands), also tail, brown. 



Beak crossed at the tip. 



Female— G^neraX color greenish yellow, with brownish tints. 

 Dull-yellowish tints on head, throat, breast, and underneath. 

 Wings and tail pale brown. Beak crossed at tip. 



Range — Pennsylvania to northern British America. West of Mis- 

 sissippi, range more southerly. 



Migrations — Irregular winter visitor. November. Sometimes 

 resident until April. 



It is a rash statement to say that a bird is rare simply because 

 you have never seen it in your neighborhood, for while you are 



220 



