314 
FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 
621. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm ). Crossbill. 1 
Adult male. — Dull red, generally brighter on rump ; gray showing 
through on under parts ; feathers of back indistinctly streaked ; wings 
and tail plain dusky. Adult females : olivaceous, often shading to bright 
yellow. Young: streaked, on olive gray ground. Young male: mixed with 
yellow and red before reaching adult stage. Male: length (skins) 5.04— 
6.64, wing 3.18-3.66, tail 1.72-2.16, bill .57-.73. Female: length (skins) 
4.92-6.06, wing 3.10-3.57, tail 1.50-2.12, bill .54-.70. 
Distribution. — Northern North America, but chiefly northward and east 
of the Plains; irregularly abundant in winter. 
Nest. — In coniferous trees, rather flat, composed externally of spruce 
twigs and shreds of soft bark, lined with horsehair and fine rootlets. 
Eggs: usually 4, pale greenish, spotted with various shades of brown 
mixed with purplish gray. 
Food. — Chiefly seeds of conifers. 
Crossbills, like other little pensioners of the trees, go and come 
whenever the branches spread hospitable feasts. If the trees yield 
no nuts, do not look for the jays or acorn-eating woodpeckers ; if it 
is not a cone year do not expect the crossbills. But when the time 
is ripe, some red letter day from high up in the treetops you may 
catch the kimp, kimp, kimp, of a busy flock, and on some still luckier 
day, like a whirl of snowflakes down will come a parti-colored band 
with their queer crossed bills and coats of red or greenish yellow. 
Then, if seeds and cones favor, perchance the flock will take up its 
abode in the neighborhood and act as if it had always been there, till 
suddenly some day it has disappeared and is seen no more. 
At Fort Sherman, Idaho, Dr. Merrill has seen crossbills in every 
month of the year, though their occurrence was irregular. At times 
they were as common and fearless as English sparrows, and on warm 
bright days in February and March he says ‘ their pleasing song was 
heard in every direction.’ 
When Dr. Mearns was in Arizona he chanced on a good year and 
found them among the commonest birds, drinking and bathing at 
the springs and water places at all times -of day. 
521a. Loxia curvirostra stricklandi Ridgw. Mexican Cross¬ 
bill. 
Similar to minor, but larger, colors averaging brighter, and lower mandi¬ 
ble averaging heavier. Male: length (skins) 5.94-6.34, wing 3.67-4.05, tail 
2.08-2.32, bill .74-.86. Female : length (skins) 5.71-6.30, wing 3.42-3.88, 
tail 1.88-2.14, bill .70-81. 
Distribution. — Mountains from Colorado west to the Sierra Nevada, and 
from Wyoming to Guatemala. 
1 Loxia curvirostra bendirei Ridgw. 
Like L. c. minor, but decidedly larger, adult male averaging lighter or brighter in color, 
adult female slightly lighter and grayer. 
Distribution. — More northern and central mountain districts of western United States 
from Colorado to the Cascades and Sierra Nevada; during migration east to eastern Ne¬ 
braska and Kansas, west to the coast district of California ; casually to Guadalupe Island, 
Lower California, and south to New Mexico. IN. Am. Fauna, No. 16, 123.) 
