316 BIRDS — FRINGILLID^. 



Male orimsoh, rosy, or pnrplish-red, most intense on the crown, fading to white on the 

 belly, mixed with dusky streaks on the back ; wings and tail dusky, with reddish edg- 

 ings, and the wing-coverts tipped with the same ; lores and feathers ail round the base 

 of the bill hoary. Female and young with no red ; olivaceous brown, brighter on the 

 rump, the feathers above all with paler edges, producing a streaked appearance; below 

 white, thickly spotted and streaked with olive- brown, except on the middle of the belly 

 and under tail-coverts; obscure whitish superciliiiry and maxillary lines. Young males 

 show every gradation between these extremes in gradually assuming the male plumage, 

 and are frequently brownish-yellow or bronzy below. Length, 5f-6i; wing, 3-3i; tail, 

 2i-2i. 



Habitat, United States from Atlantic to Pacific, excepting perhaps the Southern Eooky 

 Mountain region. 



Common spring and fall migrant in Middle, winter resident in South- 

 ern, and probably resident in Northern Ohio. Dr. Kirtland, in his cata- 

 logue, presumes it to breed, having taken it in June ; he also mentions 

 ]'■.=! occurrence in winter. Mr. Read says it "stops a few days in spring 

 in hrge numbers," and that he had taken it in August. Mr. Langdon 

 givoS it as migrant in fall, winter, and spring, and says that it "feeds 

 largely on the buds of the slippery elm, its flesh being strongly flavored 

 thereby." 



In the vicinity of Columbus it is to be found irregularly from October 

 to the latter part of April, but is rare during December and January. In 

 the fall it frequents weedy and swampy woodlands and borders of streams, 

 feeding upon the seeds of plants. In spring it is found in flocks in wood- 

 land, where it feeds largely upon the buds of trees. At this time it has 

 a sweet though not very powerful song. 



The nest is usually placed in an evergreen tree, but sometimes in an 

 orchard. It is described as being flat and shallow, composed of grass, 

 strips of bark, and vegetable fibres. The eggs are pale emerald-green, 

 spotted with very dark brown, chiefly about the greater end. They vary 

 in size from .92 to .81 by .70 to .60. 



Genus LOXIA.. Linnsens. 



Mandibles much elongated, compressed, and attenuated, greatly curved or falcate, 

 their points crossing or overlapping to a greater or less degree. Tarsi very short, claws 

 long, hind claw longer than its digit. Wings very long and pointed, reaching beyond 

 the middle of the narrow forked tail. 



LoxiA cuEViROSTRA Forstcr. 



Var. AMERICANA Cs. 

 Common Crossbill, 

 Loxia curvirostra, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 164, 184. — Eead, Proo. Phila. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395.— Whkaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Eep. for 1874, 

 1875, 566; Eeprint, 6; Bull. Nutt, Orn. Club, iv, 1879, 62. 



