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collected by Canon Tristram, and two from Tunis, all of which, on comparison, agree precisely with specimens 

 obtained in Sweden by the late Mr. Wheelwright. One of these, from Algeria, is quite a young bird, scarcely 

 out of the nestling plumage, and having the mandibles but very slightly curved at the tip. 



From Asia we have seen examples obtained in Siberia, China, and Japan. One of these, a male, obtained 

 on the Amoor by Dr. von Schrenck, and labelled by Mr. Swinhoe Loxia albiventris, has the bill quite as small 

 as that of L. americana; but a female obtained from the same locality is similar to ordinary specimens of 

 L. curvirostra. The measurements of these specimens are : — Male : total length 5 - 8 inches, wing 3 - 5, tail 2'3, 

 tarsus 0'60, culmen 0'55, height of beak at base 04, width of lower mandible at base 0"3. Female : total 

 length 65 inches, wing 355, tail 2 - 4, tarsus 065, culmen 07 height of beak at base (M-8, width of mandible 

 at base - 42. A male obtained at Darasun, in Dauria, by Dr. Dybowski is larger than either of the former ; 

 and its wing measures 3'85, the lower mandible of the bill 045 at the base. 



From China we have before us five specimens, types of Mr. Swinhoe' s Loxia albiventris; and we are 

 indebted to that gentleman for the use of these birds in working out the present article. We have carefully 

 compared these Chinese birds with typical examples from Sweden, and fail to detect any difference; indeed we 

 have some Swedish specimens with quite as much, if not more, white on the abdomen. From Japan we have a 

 male collected by Mr. Whitely which most nearly resembles the specimen from Dauria above referred to. Its 

 measurements are: — Total length 565 inches, wing 375, tail 25, tarsus 0-65, culmen - 75, width of mandible 

 at base 0-4. 



Thinking that it may be useful to our readers if we point out the most salient distinctions between the 

 different species, we give the characteristics of the various known species of Crossbills with plain wings as 

 follows, and shall do the same as regards those with banded wings later on, when we write the history of 

 Loxia bifasciata. 



Loxia pityopsittaca is the largest of the Crossbills ; but occasionally specimens of the next species approach 

 rather closely to it. It may generally be distinguished by its larger and stouter bill, and greater length of 

 wing ; besides, the red in the male approaches rather to vermilion, occasionally washed with pale carmine. 

 The measurements are as follows : — -Total length 6 - 3-7 inches, wing 4-4 - 3, tail 2 - 7-2 - 8, tarsus 075, culmen 0"9, 

 height of bill at base 0'6, width of lower mandible at base OS. 



Loxia curvirostra may generally be distinguished from the preceding species by its smaller size, shorter 

 wing, and smaller beak, as also by the red in the adult male being darker, in fully adult specimens dark tile- 

 or brick-red. The measurements of a large series of adult males are as follows : — Total length 5'7-6 inches, 

 wing 3-7-3-9, tail 35-27, tarsus 0-6-O65, culmen 075-0-85, height of bill at base 0'5, width of lower mandible 

 at base 0-37 to 0-4. 



Loxia rubrifasciata is merely an accidental variety of this species, or, it may be, of L. bifasciata. We 

 have not had an opportunity of examining a specimen ; but Mr. Meves writes that one was caught at Stockholm 

 in November 1858, which he describes as rich cinnabar-red in colour, with two tolerably broad reddish bands 

 on the blackish brown wings. Total length 176 millims., extent 295 millims. 



Loxia mexicana. This is a very distinct species, and bears somewhat the same relation to L. americana, 

 as L. pityopsittaca does to L. curvirostra. We have before us a male and female, locality not given, and two 

 males obtained by Mr. John Keast Lord on the western side of the rocky mountains, all belonging to the 

 British-Museum collection. Compared with males of L. americana, these birds are much richer in colour, the 

 red being almost blood-red. This species is characterized by the large and powerful bill, the mandible almost 

 equalling the maxilla, and by having the wing longer than in L. americana. The measurements of the 

 specimens we have examined are as follows: — Total length 5'4-5 - 7 inches, wing 3'65-4 - l, tail 2 - 5-2-9, tarsus 

 0-58-0-6, culmen - 75-0-8, height of bill at base 0-4-0-5, width of lower mandible at base 0.35-0 - 4. 



Loxia americana. This species is in size and general characters intermediate between L. curvirostra and 

 L. himalayana. In colour the adult male is generally duller than L. curvirostra, the red approaching to dirty 

 orange. We have had the opportunity of examining a series in the British Museum, collected on the western 



L 



