
584 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 
the year; at other times very few are seen for a considerable 
period. Concerning this species I have received from Mr. 
Maynard the following very interesting note. He says that 
in 1868 these birds appeared in Massachusetts "early in Sep- 
tember, in very immature plumage, which seemed to indi- 
cate," he thought, “that they were raised in the states. But 
upon visiting Oxford county, Maine," he continues, “ Octo- 
ber 12th, and not seeing a single specimen of this bird (al- 
though after the 21st the White-winged species was common) 
I was induced to inquire of the farmers respecting them, 
when I was informed that they passed through that region 
early in August, in large numbers, doing great damage to 
the oat crop. This shows that the unusual occurrence of this 
bird in immature plumage early in the season was owing 
to the early migration of northern raised birds, induced, 
probably, by an insufficient supply of food, which I think 
regulates the migrations of all northern birds; hence the ir- 
regularity of their visits. The species in question passed 
entirely south of Newton (Mass.), as upon my return from 
Maine, November 13th, not a specimen could be found, but 
C. leucoptera was abundant. From what I have seen of 
these two species I think the latter is generally much more 
boreal in its habits.”* 
Specimens of the Red Crossbill have been received at the 
Museum of Comparative Zoólogy from Massachusetts so 
young that it seems highly probable that they were raised 
here. Among them are specimens collected in Weston, in 
May, 1862, by the late Mr. Horace Mann. Some were so 
young that their bills were not fully grown, while the plu- 
mage also indicated great immaturity. It is hardly possible 
that they could ci. been born far from where they were 
collected. The condition of the specimens collected by Mr. 
Maynard, alluded to above, seems to indicate that they also 
: have. not been long from the nest, though they may, as he 
Supp onem have come from Maine. These facts seem to 




* MSS. Notes, received in July, 1869. 


