Nesting of Crossbills in Nova Scotia. — During the past winter, 
which was very mild and open, numbers of American and White-winged 
Crossbills were found nesting in the vicinity of Wolfville, Kings Co. 
The first nests discovered were those of the American Crossbill (. Loxia 
curyirostra minor '] Jan. 31, three in number. Of these, two contained 
young, just hatched. The others held three eggs, advanced in incuba- 
tion. These nests were not far apart, in a small, open grove of spruce, 
fir, and hemlock, and were similarly placed on horizontal limbs of spruces, 
from twenty to forty feet from the ground and well out from the trunk. 
Some fifteen or twenty of the birds were constantly feeding about this 
grove, and by their noisy chatterings and restless movements attracted 
my attention to them. 
Though hardly expecting to find them nesting at so early a date, I 
nevertheless watched them closely. Soon I saw a single bird leave the 
feeding flock. Darting away through the trees he disappeared among 
the lower branches from which he soon emerged and joined his compan- 
ions. A careful search among the branches into which this bird had 
flown, revealed a nest, well concealed amid clustering sprigs of the ever- 
green. The sitting female carefully -watched my movements as I ap- 
proached the nest and upon my reaching out to touch her raised the 
feathers on her crown, opened her bill, and in short made herself look 
quite ferocious. Finally sliding off the nest, she flitted about within a 
few feet of me, keeping up an angry chirping, in which she was soon 
joined by her mate. This nest was some twenty feet up, and fully ten 
feet out from the trunk, saddled on the horizontal limb among clusters 
of the foliage and protected from above by overhanging branches. The 
other two nests were discovered in the same way — by watching the feed- 
ing flock, and noting the movements of birds leaving it from time to time. 
During the following months, many other nests were found. Great 
diversity in choice of nesting sites among individuals of both species was 
noticed to exist. Nests of the American Crossbill were found in spruces, 
firs, and hemlocks at elevations ranging from ten to eighty feet. Most 
nests were found in spruces of large growth and with thick, spreading 
branches in open woods. Others were found in dense groves of ever- 
greens in the little bunch of foliage at the extreme top of otherwise de- 
nuded firs, while still others were found concealed in dead trees of the 
same kind among the hanging moss and twigs, close to the trunk. A few 
nests were found in young hemlocks in the little clusters of twigs that 
sprout out at the junction of the branches and trunk. 
The character of the woods did not seem to affect the choice of the 
birds much, provided that cone-bearing trees were near at hand. Thus 
nests were found in dry open upland woods as well as in the low dense 
growths of the swamps, and in woods of mixed growth as well as in ever- 
greens alone. 
Nests of the White-winged species ( Loxia leucoptera) were found in 
spruces only, though some were in trees of large growth and seventy feet 
from the ground, while others were placed low in small bushes. 
During the period of incubation the sitting females were observed to- 
be fed by the males, in the same manner that the young are fed by their 
parents — that is by the disgorging of the contents of the crop into the 
open mouth of the bird to be fed. When bringing his mate food in this 
manner the male crossbill would announce his coming by loud pipings, 
and perching upon a near by tree would continue his excited chirpings 
some minutes and then fly direct to the nest. Often after having thus 
fed his mate, he would circle in the air about his home on outstretched 
flapping wings, giving vent to a perfect ecstasy of song. 
The nests of both species are composed chiefly of twigs and beard-moss. 
Sometimes feathers, strips of decayed w'ood and bark, grasses and plant 
down, were added. On the whole the nests are fairly well built and com- 
pact, though quite a difference in this respect is noticeable indifferent cases. 
The nesting period of these birds seems very extended. Thus on Jan. 
31, nests were found with young. The birds have been nesting ever since, 
and at this date (May 7) flocks of full fledged young can be seen feeding 
about the woods, while nests with eggs are still to be found. Some years, 
ago a nest of the American Crossbill was found on August 4 containing 
newly hatched young,— Harold F. Tufts, Wolfville, Nova Scotia. 
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