180 



The last was seen at Mount Carmel November 2. The first came to 

 Saint Louis, Mo., September 17, and an increase was noticed October 

 17. 



518. Carpodacus cassini Baird. [169.] Cassin's Purple Finch. 



The usual home of this species is in the Kocky Mountain region, but 

 it occurs in Texas. In the spring of 1884, at Gainesville, Tex., Mr. 

 Ragsdale saw the first March 13. 



521. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). [172.] American Crossbill. 



Both the Eed and the White-winged Crossbills breed and are resi- 

 dent in Minnesota, and in winter come a little farther south, occasion- 

 ally as far as Kansas. Though noted by the observers in their lists, yet 

 not a single record was made during the winter of 18S3-'84. 



How different the record for 1885! The winter of 1S84-85 was marked 

 ornithologically, in the Upper Mississippi Valley, by the great abun- 

 dance of Crossbills of both species. They arrived at Paris, 111., the mid- 

 dle of November (1884); increased daily, and in December the flocks 

 contained from thirty to fifty birds. None were seen during January 

 (1885), but they were in good force again February 3. The bulk de- 

 parted in April, and the last were seen during the first week in May. 

 At Shawneetown, 111., the first came December 24, 1884; they were next 

 seen March 25, and again April 2. No regular migratory movement 

 can be traced, but they seem to have been most common in Wisconsin 

 and Illinois the last week of March and the first half of April, and to 

 have left early in May. In Milwaukee, thirty-nine birds were brought 

 to one taxidermist March 28, and they were abundant for the next three 

 weeks at Lake Mills, Wis. Several hundred were seen during the 

 spring at Jefferson, Wis., ana they were also noted at Durand, Green 

 Bay, Ripon, Delavan, and Clinton, in Wisconsin, and at Eockford, 

 Hennepin, and Odin, in Illinois. In Iowa they stayed all winter at 

 Coralville, and were seen April 18 at Knoxville (fifty birds) and May 1 

 at Grinnell. The latest records are: Hennepin, 111., May 18; Coralville, 

 Iowa, May 21; and Milwaukee, Wis., May 25. Many of both species of 

 Crossbills were seen at Elk Eiver, Minn., the last week in March. In 

 the fall of 1885 a flock re-appeared at Milwaukee, Wis., November 7. 



521a. Loxia curvirostra Strickland! Eidgw. (172a.) Mexican Crossbill. 



In the fall of 1885 numbers of these southwestern Crossbills invaded 

 eastern Kansas. November 5 Prof. L. L. Dyche shot several from a 

 small flock at Lawrence; November 21 Prof. D. E. Lantz killed three 

 out of a flock of twelve at Manhattan ; and December 23 Mr. V. L. 

 Kellogg shot a pair out of a flock of twelve at Emporia (Revised Cat. 

 Bds. Kansas, Goss, 1886, p. 40). At Lawrence Professor Dyche first 

 observed the birds November 1 (1885), and he last saw them January 

 26 (1886). During this period he secured forty specimens, twenty of 

 each sex. (The Auk, Vol. Ill, 1886, pp. 258-259). 



