FRINOILLIDa; — THE FINCHES. 227 



"The elongated, compressed, falcate-curved, and overlapping man- 

 dibles readily characterize this genus among birds. This feature, 

 however, only belongs to grown specimens, the young having a 

 straight bill as in other Finches." {Hist. N. Am. B.) 



The two North American species of this genus may be very readily 

 distinguished by the uniformly brownish wings of L. minor, and 

 the conspicuous white spots or bands on the greater and middle 

 wing-coverts in L. leucoptcra, — these differences characterizing both 

 sexes, at all ages. 



Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). 



AMERICAN CBOSSBILL. 

 Popnlar synonym. American Bed Crossbill. 



Loxia curvirostra Foest. Phil. Trans. Ixii, 1772. 402 {nee Linn).— Nutt. Man. i,1832, 583.— 

 AUB. Om. Biog. ii, 1834. 559; v. 1839. 511, pi. 197; Synop. 1839, 128; B. Am. iii, 1841, 186. 

 pi. 200. 

 Curvirostra americana WiLS. Am. Orn. iv, 1811, 44, pi. 31, figs. 1,2.— Baikd, B. N. Am. 

 1858, 426; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 318. 



Loxia curvirostra var. americana CouEs, Key, 1872, 351; Check List, 1873, No. ; B. 



N. W. 1874, 109.— B. B. & E. Hist. N. Am. B. i, 1874. pi. 23. flgs. 1. 4. 

 Loxia curvirostra americana Bidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 172.— CouES, 2d Chock 

 List, 1882. No. 199. 

 Curvirostra minor Bkehm, Naum. 1853, 193. 



Loxia curvirostra minor Bedgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, 354. 

 Hab. Temperate North America, breeding from northern border of United States 

 north to portions of Alaska, and on higher mountain ranges south to Pennsylvania, East- 

 ern Tennessee, etc. (In Rooky Mounbiius and other higher western ranges replaced in 

 summer by the much larger £.c«riitrostro mexicatia.) South to Virginia, Tennessee, etc. 

 "Sp. Chae. Old male dull red (the shade differing in the specimen, sometimes brick- 

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

 brown. Toung nuale yellowish, i^emaie dull greenish-olive above, each feather with a 

 dusky center; rump and crown bright greenish yellow. yo«?ii7 olive above; whitish be- 

 neath, conspicuously streaked above and below with blackish. Male about 6 inches; 

 wing. 3.30; tail, 2.25." (.Hist. N. Am. B.) 



Perhaps no birds are more erratic in their movements than the 

 Crossbills ; and this observation applies no less to their habits dur- 

 ing the breeding season than at other times. They appear and 

 disappear from a given locahty in the most unexpected manner, and 

 it probably caimot be said of any district that any species of this 

 genus is a constant inhabitant during any portion of the year. In 

 lUinois, the present species is an irregular visitant throughout the 

 State, being of course more rare and uncertain in the southern than 

 in the northern portion. 



