AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 41 



should be brought into a warm room. Such a sudden change will kill almost every 

 bird. A very cool, unheated room is the right place for keeping them, and they should 

 always be kept in small companies. A single bird soon pines away. With the exception 

 of our beautiful Baltimore Orioles I have never observed birds that are so much attached 

 to one another than these Crossbills. "When I had caught one. in the trap cage, the 

 other of the pair did not leave its mate, but hopped around in great distress, uttering 

 exceedingly mournful notes. 



The Crossbill is a very diligent singer, even as a cage -bird. The song consists of 

 a number of loud and flute-like notes, which are frequently intermingled with several 

 harsh chattering tones. There are good and poor singers among the Crossbills, as it is 

 the case also with most other birds. The song of the females is in every respe(3; quite 

 equal to that of the males. The usual note is a loud chatter, which is generally heard 

 when they fly. While feeding among the dense evergreens, a soft, persuasive weed, weed 

 is frequently heard. 



I have never found a nest, although these birds, in the days of my boyhood, were 

 sometimes exceedingly abundant throughout the year in the white pines around our 

 small lake in Sheboygan Cotmty, Wisconsin. In Oconto County of this State Mr. B. F. 

 Goss and Mr. A. J. Schoenebeck found a nest of this bird on June 9, 1892, in a hemlock. 

 July 4 it contained four young. Near this old nest Mr. Schoenebeck found on April 29, 

 1893, another one, evidently of the same pair, with four fresh eggs ; this was also built 

 on a hemlock. 



In Maine, Vermont, and even in New York this Crossbill has also been found 

 breeding. The best account on the nesting habits of this bird has been given by Mr. 

 Eugene P. BickneU. 



"Among those of our abundant- birds," says Mr. BickneU*, "whose nidification 

 remains very unsatisfactorily known, the Red Crossbill occupies no inconspicuous posi- 

 tion. True, the nesting of the very intimately alUed European form is pretty thoroughly 

 understood, but, so far as I can now recall, there is but a single authentic descriptive 

 record of the nest and eggs of the American Crossbill having been discovered. In view 

 of these fadls it is with much pleasure that I find myself able to describe the nest and 

 eggs of this species taken in the Lower Hudson Valley ; theoretically one of the most 

 unlikely places to be chosen as a breeding station in the State, and well illustrating the 

 uncertain and erratic disposition of the species in question. 



"The winter of 1874—75 will be remembered as one of extreme severity, during 

 which most of our boreal birds appeared in greater numbers, and extended their range 

 further to the southward than for many winters before. At Riverdale, New York City, 

 Red Crossbills were first observed in 1874 on November 3 (a small flock). They 

 remained apparently but a few days, but reappeared in larger numbers about a month 

 later, and thereafter during the ensuing winter were constantly present in small roving 

 flocks. At one locality, in particular, they were almost always to be found. This was 

 about several private residences overlooking the river, whose grounds, abounding with 

 various species of ornamental evergreens and conifers, especially larches and the Norway 

 spruce {Abies excelsa) seemed to offer them especial attractions. Here as the winter 



* Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club. Vol. V. 1880, p. 7—9. 



