86 
nose heavy. So he tore out some viscera and I think gulped some of it, 
then tried again and nearly lost it in the creek. But he was too canny, 
and dropped it quickly on the near bank. Then he tore it some more, 
leaving some entrails on the sand, and so went off with it. The youngster 
attending this performance begged in the pose of all fledglings with wings 
drooping and flapping and beak extended as he shouted his hungry plaint. 
The parent refused him a morsel while I watched, but the youngster 
followed him off and doubtless got his share later. ” 
Specimen: Female, June 3. 
Referred to C. c. principalis on geographic consideration. 
50. Corvus caurinus Baird Northwestern Crow 
May 8, a few of these coast crows seen at Cordova. 
51. Nucifraga Columbiana (Wilson) Clarke's Nutcracker 
Specimens: Two, in Lloyd’s collection, McCarthy, Alaska, November, 1922. 
52. Loxia leucoptera Gmelin White-winged Crossbill 
One of the really common birds of spruce woods everywhere visited. 
Early nesters. A pair taken at McCarthy May 11 judged already to have 
nested. First young taken at camp May 21. From this date juveniles 
taken until August 12. Juvenility could be determined by amount of 
crossing of mandibles as well as by skull condition. Juvenile taken 
August 12 had skull almost fully granulated. 
Evident that males go through somewhat puzzling plumage changes 
of Carpodacus group. A male shot May 23, with sex organs in breeding 
condition, but faintly red, and another male taken previously, while in 
high plumage, had a few yellow feathers interspersed in red areas. 
Food of these birds seemed to consist almost entirely of seeds of white 
spruce — cone crop of previous year having been heavy. 
Voices of crossbills almost a constant sound in woods, but isolated 
pairs seldom met. Call note “Chit-it! Chit-it! W eet-weet-weet!” almost 
monotonous at times when a small flock at hand, but at no time was any 
striking song heard from this bird. 
A female taken May 26 had a gob of fecal matter in her throat, indi- 
cating a nest of young. 
Small flocks seen swirling over woods all summer and several such 
seen June 7, 8, and 9, all heading down valley. Species still numerous at 
time of leaving the Chitina. 
Specimens: Male and female, McCarthy, Alaska, May 11, Eight adults, May 19 to 
August 12. Four juveniles, May 22 to July 14. 
53. Acanthis linaria (Linnaeus) Common Redpoll 
Met at Strelna on railroad, also at McCarthy, and later very numerous 
on the Chitina. Chatter of redpolls and white-winged crossbills most 
frequent sound heard in spruce woods. Like crossbills frequented cone- 
clustered tops of spruces and also found very commonly in willow thickets 
and poplars and even in burns. These birds intensely social and as soon 
as nesting over, young and old collected in flocks, often associating with 
pine siskins and crossbills. First young had left nest May 31; juveniles 
taken June 2. 
