WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 347 
to Northern Asia, but North America may be 
yet considered as its true country, and though 
comparatively scarce there, it is met with in 
greater numbers than elsewhere. Buonaparte 
considers it as inhabiting the northern and 
central parts, being in most districts migratory, 
frequenting chiefly the “pine swamps and forests, 
often feeding to excess on the seeds of pinus 
inops. The nest is built on the limb of a pine 
near the centre, and is composed of grasses and 
earth, lined interiorly with feathers.”* Their 
manners are described as similar to those of the 
Common Crossbill, equally regardless of danger, 
and in snow allowing themselves even to be 
caught by the hand. We do not at present 
possess a specimen of this bird, but the adult 
male is described as rich crimson red, tinted with 
brown on the forehead, and having the base of 
the feathers dark gray, which sometimes gives a 
mottled appearance to the plumage. The wings 
and tail are black, the former with two conspi- 
cuous white bars, one across the shoulders, the 
others formed by the white tips to the wing 
coverts. The vent and under tail coverts white. 
The female is described of an olive green, paler 
beneath, and tinted brightly on the rump and 
breast with lemon yellow ; the bars on the wings 
indicated indistinctly. 
Buonaparte continuation of Wilson. 
