60 
AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 
appellation, I have only followed the steps and dictates of that great 
Original, whose arrangements ought never to be disregarded by any who 
would faithfully follow her. 
The Crossbills are subject to considerable changes of color ; the young 
males of the present species being, during the first season, olive yellow 
mixed with ash ; then bright greenish yellow intermixed with spots of 
dusky olive ; all of which yellow plumage becomes, in the second year, 
of a light red, having the edges of the tail inclining to yellow. When 
confined in a cage they usually lose the red color at the first moulting, 
that tint changing to a brownish yellow, which remains permanent. The 
same circumstance happens to the Purple Finch and Pine Grosbeak, 
both of which, when in confinement, exchange their brilliant crimson 
for a motley garb of light brownish yellow ; as I have had frequent 
opportunities of observing. 
The male of this species, when in perfect plumage, is five inches and 
three quarters long, and nine inches in extent ; the bill is a brown horn 
color, sharp, and single edged towards the extremity, where the mandi- 
bles cross each other ; the general color of the plumage is a red-lead 
color, brightest on the rump, generally intermixed on the other parts 
with touches of olive; wings and tail brown black, the latter forked, 
and edged with yellow ; legs and feet brown ; claws large, much curved, 
and very sharp ; vent white, streaked with dark ash ; base of the bill 
covered with recumbent down, of a pale brown color ; eye hazel. 
The female is rather less than the male; the bill of a paler horn color; 
rump, tail coverts and edges of the tail golden yellow ; wings and tail 
dull brownish black ; the rest of the plumage olive yellow mixed with 
ash ; legs and feet as in the male. The young males during the first 
season, as is usual with most other birds, very much resemble the female. 
In moulting, the males exchange their red for brownish yellow, which 
gradually brightens into red. Hence at different seasons they differ 
greatly in color. 
