i88 7 .] 
Wayne on the American Crossbill in South Carolina. 
287 
THE AMERICAN CROSSBILL ( LOXIA CUR VI- 
ROSTRA MINOR ) IN LARGE NUMBERS NEAR 
CHARLESTON, S. C. 
BY ARTHUR T. WAYNE. 
It will doubtless be interesting to the readers of ‘The Auk’ to 
know that the Red Crossbill has been very abundant at McPher- 
sonville, a beautiful little village four miles from Yemassee and 
about sixty miles from Charleston, during the months of Novem- 
ber and December, 1886, and January and February, 1887. 
The first intimation I had of the bird in question as having 
been captured near Charleston was from my friend Dr. G. E. 
Manigault, the well-known osteologist, who called to tell me of 
the good news on Sunday evening, in the early part of January, 
1887. Dr. Manigault received a very fine adult male from a 
gentleman at McPhersonville, to whom is due the credit of 
adding the Red Crossbill to the birds of South Carolina. 
This gentleman is W. D. Gregorie, Esq., who has observed 
the habits of birds around Yemassee and vicinity for years, and is 
a great enthusiast in matters pertaining to ornithology, and whose 
knowledge of the birds of that region is very great. 
I wrote Mr. Gregorie, in the latter part of January, to secure 
specimens of the Crossbill for me, and after the lapse of a few 
days I received from him three fine specimens, a male and two 
females. I therefore resolved to explore the country around 
Yemassee for a day, with the hope of seeing the bird alive, and 
left Charleston on January 28. The result of this day’s trip 
rewarded me by the capture of a female, which I shot out of a 
pine tree one hundred feet high ; the bird was feeding on a burr. 
I also had the pleasure of seeing a large flock of about twenty 
individuals. I secured during my stay only a single example. 
Although I was somewhat discouraged, I did not give up hope, 
but determined to visit Yemassee again and explore the country 
thoroughly. 
During my stay at Yemassee, from February 5 to 14, I was 
the guest of Mr. Gregorie, and he took me to the best locali- 
ties where I would be sure to get the Crossbills. My stay 
was a very pleasant and satisfactory one and I will give the 
result in detail : On February 7, I shot thirteen examples, five 
