138 The American Naturalist. [February, 
day or two, and none were seen until the 17th of March, fol- 
lowing, when I shot eight out of a flock of about twenty in the 
same place where they had previously been seen. Several 
flocks were observed about the same time near Bloomfield and 
Glenville in this county, and excited considerable comment 
on account of their queer bills. The weather at the time was 
quite mild, so that their appearance here was probably due to 
some other cause.” 
The winter of 1882-3, they were unusually abundant in 
many localities between the great lakes and the Ohio River. 
Professor B. W. Evermann first observed them at Blooming- 
ton, Indiana, Feb. 10, 1893. This was the second record 
for the state. Forsome time after they were common in Mon- 
roe County. March 15, 1883, Mr. E. R. Quick reported having 
seen a single specimen near Brookville, Indiana. April 2, my 
attention was attracted to a peculiar crackling sound which 
came from among the pine trees in my yard at Brookville. 
Close investigation revealed the fact that the cause was a lot 
of Crossbills. They were shelling the seeds out of the pine 
cones, and the breaking of the cones made the sound which 
attracted my attention. I observed others were upon the 
ground feeding upon the seeds in the fallen cones. April 3, 1 
saw six more in my yard. April 4, I saw one ina flock of 
Pine Finches. April 5, Mr. Quick noted one. Of those 
observed, but one was in the red plumage. Professor B. W. 
Evermann saw a few at Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana, the 
middle of March, 1883. At the same place about twelve were 
seen Dec. 26,1884. Mr. J. W. Byrkit informs me that they 
were very abundant at Michigan City, Indiana, in the winter 
of 1883-4. Miss H. E. Colfax in her report of the birds noted 
at the lighthouse at the same place, gives it Jan. 16, 1884. In 
the winter of 1883-4, Professor Evermann reported them very 
common in Monroe County, Indiana. : 
The Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. VIII, p. 68, contains 
an account by A. H. Helme of their breeding April 10, 188% 
near Miller's Point. L. I. Mr. Robert Ridgway (The Auk, 
Vol. I, p. 292) notes the probable breeding of the Red Cross 
bill in central Maryland in May, 1884. Mr. F. ©. Brows 
