COMMON CROSSBILL. 561 



vermilion, on the whole upper parts of the body. Females bearing the 

 same appearances of old age, were as I have represented them in my 

 plate. 



Reader, as men may commit errors when most anxious to arrive at 

 the truth, you will greatly obhge me by undertaking a series of observa- 

 tions, similar to those which I have made, and stating the result. 



LoxiA cuRviRosTRA, Liim. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 299 — Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 361 — 

 Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 11?. 



American Crossbill, Curvirostra Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 44. 

 pi. 21. fig. 1, 2. 



Common Crossbill, Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. 583. 



Adult Male. Plate CXCVII. Fig. 1, 1. 



Bill of ordinary length, strong, convex above and beneath; mandibles 

 crossing each other and compressed towards the tips, which are incurvate 

 and acute. Nostrils small, basal, rounded, covered by the small incum- 

 bent feathers of the forehead. The general form is compact and robust, 

 the head and neck large. Feet rather short, strong ; tarsus short comr 

 pressed, anteriorly scutellate, sharp behind ; toes separated, the two late- 

 ral nearly equal, and considerably shorter than the middle one ; claws 

 compressed, very acute, curved, the hind one largest. 



The plumage is blended, but rather firm. Wings of ordinary length, 

 curved, acute, the first and second primaries longest. Tail short, small, 

 emarginate. 



Bill brown, horn-colour on the edges, and darker at the tip. Iris 

 hazel. Feet dusky. The general colour of the plumage is a dull light 

 red, inchning to vermilion, darker on the wings. Quills and tail-feathers 

 brownish-black ; the red colour is paler on the lower parts, and on the 

 belly passes into whitish. 



Length 7 inches, extent of wings 10; bill along the ridge ^^ ; tar- 



• Young Male after the first moult. Plate CXCVIL Fig. 2. 



At this age the colours of the imale are paler and duller, but are si- 

 milarly distributed. There is aji admixture of yellow tints on the back, 

 and more especially on the rump. 



VOL. II. N n 



