i=«, 



i^ 



# OOLOG 



,0 



^- 



VOL. VII. 



ALBION N. Y., JULY, 1890. 



No. 7 



The American Croosliili. 



Tlie Aiiieneaa Crossbill, also conr 

 luonly known by the name of Red 

 Crossbill, is one of the great family of 

 Finches (Fringillidae). It is a little 

 larger than the eommoii Linnet, and of 

 ii genus closely allied to the Grosbeak 

 iind .Bull-finch. The genus is particu- 

 larlj^ characterized Ijy the short, thick, 

 round beak, of which the sides are in- 

 Hated, bulging, aud the tip of the upper 

 mandible overhangs the lower one. 



The Crossbills have long l:»een cele- 

 brated on account of the peculiar form 

 of their l)eak, fnjm which thej' deri^'cd 

 their name. The two mandibles are 

 rather long, thick at the base, and 

 much curved, so much so that they 

 cross each other at the points, when 

 tlie bill is closed. 



In different individuals, even of the 

 .same species, the upper and lower 

 mandibles are found variously directed 

 to the right and left. 



T(; examine the beak of one of these 

 birds, one would say, it would prohibit 

 its owner from picking up seeds or 

 providing itself with food in any way, 

 but, instead, it eats v.ith all the ease 

 and comfort of any of the straight- 

 beaked birds, and enjoys itself like all 

 its feathered fellows of the air. The 

 food of the Crossbill consists of various 

 seeds, such as the seed of the lirs and 

 pine, which it obtains bj' tearing apart 

 the cones. They are also very fond of 

 apple-pips. Setting on a tree wdiere 

 ripe apples are hanging, it attacks the 

 fruit with its l)eak and in a few 

 moments cuts a hole fairly into the 

 core, from which it daiutih' picks out 

 the seeds rejecting the ripe pulpy fruit 

 in which they have been enveloped. 



The male, as is the case with most 

 birds, differs mucli from the female and 



has the most beautiful i)lumage. Tlie 

 head and back are prettily colored 

 with a variegAted inixture of red, 

 brown and green, all of which have a 

 metalic lustre. The throat and breast 

 are red, with here and there a fe^v 

 feathers of j'ellov/ish-green and drab, 

 some of Avhich are of a dim color, 

 wings black', running to a brownish 

 hue at the shoulders; tail, black; tail 

 coverts, bright red; under tail coverts, 

 drab aud black; abdomen, drab; bill, 

 black and half an inch long; legs and 

 feet, black, short and strong. 



Although nature has not provided 

 the female Avith quite so beautiful a 

 plumage, she is nevertheless, very 

 pretty. The head, throat and breast 

 are colored in a variety of green, red 

 aud yellow; back, red, green aud black; 

 tail, black; tail coverts, l^right yellow; 

 abdomen, drab; wings, black aud 

 white. The total length of this bird is 

 not above six inches from tip of beak to 

 extremity of tail. The tail has a very 

 deep notch in the end, Arhich is very 

 conspicuous Avhen flying. 



The song of this bird is verj' simple 

 and no particular quality to rccom- 

 meiid. it. The Crossljills generally- 

 build their nests in lir trees in a some- 

 what shaded retj-eat and lay from four 

 to five delicate green eggs, spotted 

 with varying shades of hiA-ender brov/n, 

 with here and there a heavy spot of 

 dark purple-brown . 



ROBEKT R. SCOKSO, 



Afton. N. J. 



The Crested Grefce. 



The Crested Grebe {Podiceps crista- 

 tus) is one of the oddest looking birds I 

 ever met w^ith. It is very common 

 along the shores of Lake Superior. T 

 spent three months in the Lake Superi( r 

 region in the summer and autumn o 



