298 



BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



In the proceedings of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Cana- 

 dian Institute is an account of an interesting hybrid in which this 

 species is concerned. 



Mr. Wm. Cross says regarding it: "On January 22nd, 1890, a 

 small-sized Finch, which was taken from a flock of Pine Grosbeaks, 

 was brought into my store. As the bird was new to me, I had it 

 -submitted to J. A. Allen, who said : ' It is clearly a hybrid between 

 the common Purple Finch and the Pine Grosbeak. It is certainly a 

 most interesting capture, combining about equally the characteristics 

 of both. It is just half-way between them in size and very nearlj' 

 so in all other features.' " 



Genus LOXIA Linx^us. 

 LOXIA CURVIROSTRA MINOR (Brehm). 



213. American Crossbill. (521) 



^fak : — Bricky-red ; wings, blackish, unmarked. Female : — Brownish-olive, 

 streaked and speckled with duskj', the rump saffron. Immature males mottled 

 with greenish and greenish-yellow. Length, about 6 ; wing, 3-J ; tail, 2-J. 



Hab. — Northern North America, resident sparingly south in the Eastern 

 United States to Maryland and Tennessee, and in the Alleghanies, irregularly 

 abundant in winter ; resident south in the Rockj- Mountains to Colorado. 



Nest, among the twigs of a spruce, composed of twigs, rootlets, lichens, 

 etc. , lined with hair and feathers. 



Eggs, three or four, pale green, spotted toward the larger end with brown- 

 purple and lilac or brown. 



Throughout Ontario the Crossbills are very erratic in their move- 

 ments, sometimes appearing unexpectedly in considerable numbers 



