TTinter Birds of Webster, N. H. by Falco. 
White-winged Crossbill, ( Loxia leucoptera). Rare 
W inter visitor. 
O.&o. X. Jan. 1885 . p./^f 
Bds. Obs. in Franconia, N.H. June' 11-21 
’86, and June 4- Aug. l,’87, W. Faxon 
30. Loxia leucoptera. White-winged Crossbill. — A few seen, June, 
18S6. 
Auk, V. April, 1888. p.152 
Breezy Point, Warren, N.H* 
• -« k/, 
1894. 
f) - CV7< 
V<n 5~ 'l *-**^ 
y ; 7 * a ^ v> 
White-winged Crossbills and Brtinnich’s Murres in Central New Hamp- 
shire. — Central New Hampshire has recently been visited by some raie 
birds for the locality. White-winged Crossbills ( Loxia leucoptera) have 
previously been watched for in vain for thirty years by one of our best bii d 
students, but he found them in comparative abundance this year and they 
have been seen by many other observers. Doubtless there have been stray 
individuals of this species here before, but their numbers at this time aie 
particularly worthy of note. 
A stranger visitation, however, has been a flock of Arctic sea biids. 
The last of November, 1899, a friend brought me a bird for identification 
that had been caught alive on land several miles from water, but it lived 
only a few days in captivity. I found it to be a Briinnich’s Murre ( Uria 
lomvia). Soon I learned that three others had been shot on one of the 
bays of Lake Winnipesaukee. The finest specimen was mounted, but the 
other two were used for the purpose of testing Gen. Greeley’s statement 
that their flesh was excellent — the best flavored of any of the Aictic sea 
fowl. The report of the New Hampshire sportsmen was that roasted Murre 
tasted about as much like fowl as a smoked herring tastes like fish. 
Still another Briinnich’s Murre was seen to fly into a brush heap at 
Franklin Falls, where it was easily captured, uninjured. The captors, 
supposing they had a young Loon, took the bird to Webster Lake, three or 
four miles away, and, tying a string to the bird’s leg, they hoped to ob- 
serve some interesting feats in diving. In this they were disappointed, 
but the bird s-wam so vigorously that the string was broken and the bird’s 
liberty was almost gained when, I am sorry to add, a shot from a gun 
ended its career. 
Several other Briinnich’s Murres have been reported and, so far as I can 
learn, it is the first time they have been taken here. 
It has been said that if, by mischance, this bird should alight on land, 
it cannot always rise on wing to make its way by flight back to water. Is 
this statement correct ? — Ellen E Webster Franklin Falls , N. H. 
Auk, XVII, April, 1000, p 
