154 
LOXIA LEUCOFTERA. 
whether it is in the passage to, or from, the prece'I" ',' 
differs only in having a light buff orange tinge, "’K (j 
the other has crimson : it agrees with it in all ' 
minute markings, the patch on the sides of the hea < *.|j 
better defined, and the wings and tail are of a S L 
deeper black, the edges of the quills and tail-fe#t®o| 
being very conspicuous, and almost pure white. j ; 
these facts conspire to favour our opinion. In yj 
state, the bird is rare, as might be expected, and l 1 
not before been noticed by any naturalist. u 
The very young male before assuming the red, at, . 
age of one year, exactly resembles the female ; 1 |C ' J 
only more grayish, and less tinged with olive, * 
having the rump greenish yellow, instead of yello"’' 
The four above described states of plumage 1 
selected from a number of specimens shot on the 
day, and out of the same flock. The changes of tl |( \ 
birds must still rank among the unexplained phenol® 1 ^ 
of natural history. An illustration might be attempts 
by supposing a double moult to take place in the l® r ^ 
of this genus, hut besides that we ought to be caut" 1 ' 
in admitting an hypothesis like this, not founded ^ 
observation, it would he entirely untenable in the 
sent instauee, from the fact, that all the variatio® 9 , 
plumage are found at the same period of the J e> 0 f 
thus proving that age, and, of course, sex, hut K 
season, produce these changes; and we must 
sionally admit, that, contrary to what takes place i®f f 
other birds, these, (the crossbills,) together with t (J f 
pine bullfinches, lose, instead of acquiring brilliancy 
colours, as they advance in a<re. a 
This species inhabits, during summer, the rem 0 *^, 
regions of North America, and it is therefore extn 1 ' f 
diuary that it should not have been found i® 
analogous climates of the old continent. In this. 

range is widely extended, as we can trace it } r °M 
Labrador, westward to Fort de la Fourche, in latWp 
56°, the borders of Peace river, and Montague b |il ' 
on the northwest coast, where it was found by ^ 
Round Hudson’s Bay it is common and well kno 
