198 
ZOOLOGY. 
gregarious, though occupied with their nests and young. The only difference I observed in 
summer plumage was a bright hue of the yellow bars on the wings. It closely resembles the 
yellow bird in habits and notes, but differs in the choice of its food, preferring the seeds of 
trees to the low plants on which the other feeds.—C. 
CURVIROSTRA AMERICANA, Wilson. 
Red Crossbill. 
Curvirostra amtricam, Wils. Am. Om. IV, 1811, 44 ; pi. xxxi, f. 1, 2 .—Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 426. 
Loxia americana, Bon. List, 1838 .—Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 527 .—Bon. & Sciilegel, Mons. Loxiens, 5, tab. vi.— 
Newberry, Zool. California and Oregon Route, P. R. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 87. 
Loxia curvirostra, Forster, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, No. 23.—Atm. Biog. II, 1834, 559: V, 511; pi. 197.— Ib. 
Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 186 ; pi. 200. 
Sp. Ch.—M ale dull red ; darkest across the hack ; wings and tail dark blackish brown. 
Female dull greenish olive above, each feather with a dusky centre ; rump and crown bright greenish yellow. Beneath 
grayish ; tinged, especially on the sides of the body, with greenish yellow. Young entirely brown, paler beneath. 
Male about six inches; extent, 10 50 ; wing, 3.30 ; tail, 2.25. Iris, bill, and feet, dark brown. 
Rah.— North America generally, coming southward in winter. Resident in the mountains of Pennsylvania. 
The crossbill is abundant near the coast, where it feeds in winter on the seeds of the black 
spruce. In summer it appears to retire to the high mountains to breed, but returns about 
September. The color of the males so closely resembles that of the young spruce cones that 
it is hard to distinguish them on a tree. There is, as in the last species, always a larger num¬ 
ber of brown birds. I have not observed this bird in the forests of the fir, east of the Coast 
range. It seems to prefer those cones that are easy to break open.—C. 
This bird, in certain seasons, is quite abundant at Puget Sound. This was the case in the 
spring of 1854. Since that time I have obtained but one specimen. I noticed in 1854, about 
my door at Fort Steilacoom, a pair on the ground near a pool of rain water; they appeared very 
tame, and allowed me to appreach within a few feet.—S. 
AEGIOTHUS LIN ARIA, C a b a n i s. 
Lesser Red Poll. 
Fringilla linaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 322 .—Aud. Om. Biog. IV, 1838, 538; pi. 375. 
Acanthis linaria, Bp. Conspectus, 1850, 541. 
Aegiothus linaria, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 161 .—Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 428. 
Linaria minor, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 267 .—Add. Syn. 1839, 114.— Ib. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 122 ; pi. 179. 
Sp. Ch.—A bove light yellowish, each feather streaked with dark brown. Crown dark crimson. Upper part of the breast 
and sides of the body tinged with a lighter tint of the same ; the rump and under tail coverts also similar, but still less livid, 
and with dusky streaks. Rest of under parts white, streaked on the side with brown. Loral region and chin dusky ; 
cheeks, (brightest over the eye,) and a narrow front, whitish. Wing feathers edged externally, and tail feathers all around 
with white. Two yellowish white bands across the wing coverts ; secondaries and tertiaries edged broadly with the same. 
Bill yellowish, tinged with brown on the culmen and gonys ; the basal bristles brown, reaching over half the bill. Length, 
5.25 ; extent, 9; wing, 3.10 ; tail, 2.70. Iris brown, bill yellow, feet black. 
Hah. —Throughout eastern North America, coming south in winter. Washington Territory.—C ooper. 
The lesser linnet I never saw but once, when a small flock appeared on the coast in winter. 
I obtained one specimen, which was unluckily destroyed afterwards. It seemed to have much 
the same habits as the pine finch, and fed on alder and thistle seeds.—C. 
