species, nor liave I heard of any having been seen there. Its song is at times mellow and agreeable, and in 
captivity it becomes gentle and familiar.” 
“ This species,” says Prince Charles Lucian Bonaparte, “ inhabits during summer the remotest regions of 
North America. Its range is widely extended ; for we can trace it from Labrador westward to Fort de la 
Fourcbc, in latitude 56°, the borders of Peace River, and Montagu Island on the north-west coast, where it 
was found by Dixon. Round Hudson’s Bay it is common and well known, probably extending far to the 
north-Avest, as Mackenzie appears to allude to it when speaking of the only land-bird found in the desolate 
regions he Avas exploring, Avhich enlivened with its agreeable notes the deep and silent forests of those 
frozen tracts. It is common on the borders of Lake Ontario, and descends in autumn and winter into 
Canada and the Northern and Middle States. Its migrations, however, are very irregular. It is seldom 
observed elsewhere than in pine SAvainps and forests, feeding almost exclusively on the seeds of these trees, 
together Avith a fcAv berries. All the specimens I obtained had their crops filled to excess entirely with 
the small seeds of Phius mops. They kept in flocks of from twenty to fifty, and Avhen alarmed suddenly 
took Aving all at once, and, after a little manoeuAU'ing in the air, generally alighted again nearly on the same 
pines Avhlch they had left, or on the naked branches of some distant, high and isolated tree. In the 
countries where they pass the summer, they build their nest on the limb of a pine, tow'ards the centre ; 
it is composed of grasses and earth, and lined internally AAuth feathers. The female lays five eggs, Avhich 
are white, spotted with yelloAvish. The young leave the nest in June, and are able to join the parent birds 
in their autumnal migration. When a deep snoAv has covered the ground in the northern countries Avhere 
these birds are numerous, they appear to lose all sense of danger, and, by spreading some favourite food, may 
be knocked doAAm Avith sticks, or even caught Avith the hand, Avhile busily engaged in feeding. Their manners 
in other respects also are very similar to those of the Common Crossbill.” 
Independently of the smaller size and more slender form of the bill as compared Avith that of L. bifasdata, 
this bird may at all times be distinguished from that species by the red colouring of the adult male being 
suffused AAuth a rich vinous hue, AA'hich is particularly conspicnous on the head, neck, and breast : in the 
arrangement of the colouring and markings the two species are very similar, each having the AA'ing-coverts 
tipped W'ith white, forming two distinct hands, and the Avings and tall black, narroAvly margined Avith 
yellowish Avhlte ; under tail-coverts blackish broAvn, broadly margined Avlth white. 
The female has the whole of the head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, and flanks suffused Avith fine 
orange-yelloAV, the centre of the feathers being dark olive, giving the head and back of the neck a mottled 
appearance ; loAver part of the back fine yellow ; the remainder of the plumage as in the male. 
I have remarked that males taken in summer in high northeni regions are very much richer in colour 
than those found to the southAvard, the red of the body being deeper and the black of the w'ings and tail 
more intense. 
The Plate represents a male and a female on the Common Larch (Abies Larioc). 
