316 BIRDS—FRINGILLIDZ. 
Male crimson, rosy, or purplish-red, most intense on the crown, fading to white on the 
belly, mixed with dusky streaks on the back; wings and tail dusky, with reddish edg- 
ings, and the wing-coverts tipped with the same; lores and feathers all round the base 
of the bill hoary. Female and young with no red; olivaceous brown, brighter on the 
rump, the feathers above all with paler edges, prodacing a streaked appearance; below 
white, thickly spotted and streaked with olive- brown, except on the middle of the belly 
and under tail-coverts; obscure whitish superciliary and maxillary lines. Young males 
show every gradation between these extremes in gradually assuming the male plumage, 
and are frequently brownish-yellow or bronzy below. Length, 62-64; wing, 3-34; tail, 
24-24. 
Habitat, United States from Atlantic to Pacific, excepting perhaps the Southern Rocky 
Mountain region. 
Common spring and fall migrant in Middle,-winter resident in South- 
ern, and probably resident in Northern Ohio. Dr. Kirtland, in his cata- 
logue, presumes it to breed, having taken it in June; he also mentions 
i's occurrence in winter. Mr. Read says it “stops a few days in spring 
in large numbers,” and that he had taken it in August. Mr. Langdon 
gives if as migrant in fall, winter, and spring, and says that it ‘“‘ feeds 
largely on the buds of the slippery-elm, its flesh being strongly flavored 
thereby.” 
In the vicinity of Columbus it is to be found irregularly from October 
to the latter part of April. but is rare during December and January. In 
the fall it frequents weedy and swampy woodlands and borders of streams, 
feeding upon the seeds of plants. In spring it is found in flocks in wood- 
land, where it feeds largely upon the buds of trees. At this time it has 
a sweet though not very powerful song. 
The nest is usually placed in an evergreen tree, but sometimes in an 
orchard. It is described as being flat and shallow, composed of grass, 
strips of bark, and vegetable fibres. The eggs are pale emerald-green, 
spotted with very dark brown, chiefly about the greater end. They vary 
in size from .92 to .81 by .70 to .60. 
Genus LOXIA. Linnzeaus. 
Mandibles much elongated, compressed, and attenuated, greatly curved or falcate, 
their points crossing or overlapping to a greater or less degree. Tarsi very short, claws 
long, hind claw longer than its digit. Wings very long and pointed, reaching beyond 
the middle of the narrow forked tail. 
LoxIA CURVIROSTRA Forster. 
var. AMERICANA Cs. 
Common Crossbill. 
Loxia curvirostra, KiRTLAND, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 164, 184.—Reap, Proc. Phila. Acad. 
Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395.—WHEATON, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 
1875, 566; Reprint, 6; Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, iv, 1879, 62. 
