280 
FRINGILLIM. 
from too short a distance. They appeared to be adult males; 
males passing from the red state into the adult ; young males just 
getting a few red feathers ; and females (?), in the brownish- grey 
state: they seemed to be moulting rapidly. On the 11th of 
January, 1839, they were still to be seen at Ballibrado, where they 
have been all the winter, and when noticed about a week before, 
appeared to have paired. I am of opinion that they bred here 
last year, on account of their appearance very early, accompanied 
by a number of young, and from the destruction of the cones of 
the spruce-fir having been noticed throughout the year.” On 
the 18th of May, 1839, my correspondent transmitted the skins 
of two specimens for my examination and remarked , — “ from 
ten to twenty crossbills have remained all the winter, and up to 
the present time at Ballibrado, but, though some search was made, 
no nest was discovered. About five or six weeks since, two or 
more clutches of young birds were seen accompanying the old 
ones, who were observed feeding them. The young bird sent was 
shot in the act of taking food from an old male ; I received it 
early in April ; the other bird sent varies a little in colour from 
most specimens, and was shot about three weeks before that time. 
The young one had every appearance of a nestling, feet soft and 
weak, bill not strong, and a great number of the large feathers 
not fully produced.* ” On the 1 8th of July of the same year, it 
was stated that crossbills had not been seen at Ballibrado for 
two months. 
Notes on the plumage, and sometimes full descriptions from 
the recent specimens which came under my examination, were 
drawn up ; but it is sufficient to observe here, that they were in 
every state from that put on at the first moult, to maturity ; by far 
the greater number were in the bright red plumage : one only, 
(that already noticed,) displayed the markings of the young pre- 
vious to the first moult. 
* This bird is of adult size : the head, back, and rump, or whole upper plu- 
mage, is yellowish green, with a dark olive centre to each feather, this dark marking 
occupying more of the feathers anteriorly than towards the tail ; the entire under 
plumage is yellowish-white, with an olive-brown streak down the centre of each 
feather ; tail and larger wing-feathers dark brown, with the outer margin yellowish- 
green. — W. T. 
