WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 299 



in sections of the country where, for several preceding years, they 

 have been entirel}* absent. Their time of nesting is also unusual, 

 the duties of incubation being performed while the ground is still 

 covered with snow. Hence the young, being soon set at liberty, are 

 often seen in flocks quite early in summer, and sometimes in the fall 

 we hear their rattling call, and see them descend from the upper air 

 to visit a patch of sunflowers, on the seeds of which they feast with 

 evident relish. Early in spring, when food is less abundant, I have 

 seen them alight on the ground and dig the seeds from a squash 

 which had been left out during the winter. 



Their favorite resorts, however, are the spruce and hemlock trees, 

 whose dark green foliage forms a fine back-ground for the rich red 

 color of the male as he swings about in every possible position, 

 searching for food among the cones at the end of the slender 

 branches. 



They are chiefly found east of the Plains, but north and south 

 they are widely distributed, there being records of their nesting at 

 various points from Northern Georgia to Alaska. Tn Southern 

 Ontario they occur chiefly as winter visitants. 



LOXIA LEUCOPTERA Gmel. 

 214. White-winged Crossbill. (522) 



Wings in both sexes, with two conspicuous white bars. MaJ,e : — Rosy-red. 

 Femali: : — Brownish-olive, streaked and speckled with dusky, the rump safiron. 

 Length, about 6 ; wing, 3J ; tail, 2J. 



Hae. — Northern parts of North America, south into the United States in 

 winter. Breeds from Northern New England northward. 



Nest, similar to the preceding species. 



Eggs, three or four, pale blue, dotted toward the larger end with lilac and 

 purple. 



This species resembles the preceding in its habits, but does not 

 appear in such large numbers. They visit the same localities, some- 

 times in company, sometimes in separate flocks. Both are quite 

 unsuspicious, and when eagerly searching for food among the pine 

 cones, they admit of a very near approach without taking alarm. 

 They vary much in plumage with age and sex, but the present species 

 can at all times be identified by the white wing-bars. 



It seems to be more northern in its habitat than the Red Crossbill. 



