AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 



45 



particularly about the head waters of the Lehigh, the banks of the 

 Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, and Bear creek, where I have myself 

 killed them at these seasons. They then appear in large flocks, 

 feeding on the seeds of the hemlock and white pine, have a loud, 

 sharp and not unmusical note; chatter as they fly; alight during the 

 prevalence of deep snows before the door of the hunter, and around 

 the house, picking off the clay with which the logs are plastered, 

 and searching in corners where urine or any substance of a saline 

 quality had been thrown. At such times they are so tame as only 

 to settle on the roof of the cabin when disturbed, and a moment 

 after descend to feed as before. They are then easily caught in 

 traps ; and will frequently permit one to approach so near as to 

 knock them down with a stick. Those killed and opened at such 

 times are generally found to have the stomach filled with a soft 

 greasy kind of earth or clay. When kept in a cage they have many 

 of the habits of the Parrot; often climbing along the wires ; and 

 using their feet to grasp the cones in, while taking out the seeds. 



This same species is found in Nova Scotia, and as far north 

 as Hudson's bay, arriving at Severn river about the latter end 

 of May ; and, according to accounts, proceeding farther north to 

 breed. It is added, that " they return at the first setting in of 

 frost."^ 



Hitherto this bird has, as usual, been considered a mere va- 

 riety of the European species ; tho differing from it in several re- 

 spects ; and being nearly one third less ; and although the singular 

 conformation of the bill of these birds and their peculiarity of man- 

 ners are strikingly difterent from those of the Grosbeaks, yet many 

 disregarding these plain and obvious discriminations, still conti- 

 nue to consider them as belonging to the genus Loxia; as if the 

 particular structure of the bill should, in all cases but this, be the 

 criterion by which to judge of a species ; or perhaps conceiving 

 themselves the wiser of the two, they have thought proper to asso- 



* Pennant. 



VOL. IV. M 



