AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 
287 
Creek, where I have myself killed them at these seasons. 
They then appear in large flocks, feeding on the seeds 
of the hemlock and white pine, have a loud, sharp, and 
not unmusical note ; chatter as they fly ; alight, during 
the prevalence of deep snows, before the door of the 
hunter, and around the house, picking off the clay with 
which the logs are plastered, and searching in corners 
where urine or any substance of a saline quality had 
been thrown. At such times they are so tame as only 
to settle on the roof of the cabin when disturbed, and 
a moment after descend to feed as before. They are 
then easily caught in traps ; and will frequently per- 
mit one to approach so near as to knock them down 
with a stick. Those killed and opened at such times 
are generally found to have the stomach filled with a 
soft greasy kind of earth or clay. When kept in a 
cage, they have many of the habits of the parrot; often 
climbing along the wires ; and using their feet to grasp 
the cones in, while taking out the seeds. 
This same species is found in Nova Scotia, and as far 
north as Hudson’s Bay, arriving at Severn river about 
the latter end of May ; and, according to accounts, pro- 
ceeding farther north to breed. It is added by Pennant, 
that “ they return at the first setting in of frost.” 
Hitherto this bird has, as usual, been considered a 
mere variety of the European species ; though differing 
from it in several respects, and being nearly one-third 
less, and although the singular conformation of the bill 
of these birds and their peculiarity of manners are 
strikingly different from those of the grosbeaks, yet 
many disregarding these plain and obvious discrimina- 
nations, still continue to consider them as belonging to 
the genus loxia ; as if the particular structure of the 
bill should, in all cases but this, be the criterion by 
which to judge of a species; or perhaps conceiving 
themselves the wiser of the two, they have thought 
proper to associate together what nature has, in the 
most pointed manner, placed apart. 
In separating these birds, therefore, from the gros- 
beaks, and classing them as a family by themselves, 
