468 W H I T E - W INGE D CROSSBILL.
winter by my son JOHN- WooimoesK, „-¡thin miles of Charleston
on Soft-til Carolina, where several wÉWeeïi, and the 'sjkcim'en-he procured
there is nofv in the collection -of my friend the Jteverend JO H N
BACHMAN.
The iSBWhward migration of this Cttssbill as well as -of «hé-other,
is extremely irregular. Being evidently hardy birds, they appear to prefer
northern to temperate cDmates; "and© shift their station only during
Upmost sVvere col.I. I he comparatively small number that spend iho
year in Maine and the British Provinces adjoining, inay be forced to do
so by wounds or other-'fccidents, as in general I'have found
moving toward the north as; «on as the chill },!a<t.s of winter were
temperèd % the warmer rays' fof the véînSl sun.
T h i f e l t W B the White-winged Crossbill are iri'fe&eral similar to
those of our common species. -lté ' f l i p is wffll sustained and undulated
®* isréasily approached, is fond of saline substanees/uses its tiffl
and feet in the mariner of Parrots, and prbairtis its food from th&.^j | f V
o f p i m ^ I l s song is'at times mellow and agreeable, and & captivity
it becomes gentle and familial-.
Mr H D T C B I N S '®%S that this species reaches Hudson's Iiay in the
month of March, and breeds in May, forming «¿est of grass, mud, and
feath«,: about midway up pine trees! and laying five white eggs, marked
with yellowish spots'. The young are abroad m the'eWof Jun$
and the species remains in that: country until the latter part of t'bvem-
B C R - D R H-ICHÀEDSON -staife that it " inhabits' the dense white spru'he
forests of the Fur Countries, Îêiélag principally on the s.ioils'of cones. '
I t ranges through thé whole breadth of théifaiineni, and probably up
.to the sixty-eighth parallel, where the woods terminate, though it was
not observed bv'us higher than the sixty-'lêcoml. It is m<g®y seen on
fithe upper branches of the trees! and, wheii wounded, clings so fast
that it will remain suspended after death. In September it collects in
small flocls, which fly from tree to tree, mating a chaUe rmg^^^ :
and in the depth of winter it retires from the «âst to the thick wdôds
111 the interior.'1
W H I T E - W I N G E D CROSSBILL. 469
LOXXA LEIICOPTERA, &md. {Ann. Svst. N a t . voL i. p . 844.
l.nxiA FALCIROSTRA, Lath. Ind. Ornithi voL i. p. 371.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, LOXIA LEUCOPTERA, WUe. Amer. Orni th. vol. iv.
p. 48, pi. 41, fii>. 4. Male.
WHITE-WISHED CROSSBILL, Ck. fìomi'irta, An.-r. Ornith. vol. ii. pi. 14, fig. 3.
- FeniaTf;:'
I.OXIA IÌEI:«'OPTK»A; C'A. firmaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United" States, p. 117-
LÓXIA LEUCOPTERA, W H ITE -WINGED CROSSBILL, BAolimrds. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Ar.ier. voL ii. p. 263.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, Suit«!1-, .Manual, vol. i . p. 540.
Adult Male, Plats OCCI.XIY. Figs. 1, 2.
Bin. rather long, stout a,t. the base, where, it is higher than broad,
extremely compressed toward the . end, the mandiblgs towards their
extremity deflected to opposite sides, so as to cross each other. Upper
man|,i|le with the dorsal line convex and deflected, the sides slightly
convex, the edgp sharp, a®d towards the end united, as in Bhync&
ops nigra, the tip excessively compressed; decurved, and extending
far beyond that ¡if the other, l.owor mandible with its angle very
short and broad, the dorsal outline ascending and convex, thè edges
sharp, inflected, and approximated at the tip, whichiis extremely acute.
Nostrils small, basal, round, covered by the short, bristly feathers.
Head large, broadly ovate'; eyes small ; neck short ; body compact.
Feet rather short, strong ; tarsus short, compressed, with seven anteri
® seutella, and two.posterior plates meeting so as to forma thin
edge; toes of moderate size..the outer united at the base, the first
strong, the lateral toes nearly equal, the third much longer ; the pads
and papilla! of the soles very large. Claws long,, arched, very slender,
much compressed, tapering to a fine point.
Plumage blended. Wings of ordinary length, pointed, the outer
three primaries longest (in one specimen the first longest, in three thè
second) ; secondaries slightly emarginate. Tail of moderate length,
deeply emarginate, the feathers curved outwards at the point.
Bill dusky, tinged with greyish-blue,, especially on the edges. Iris
hazel Feet dark reddish-brown. The general colour of the plumage
is rich carmine, inclining to crimson ; the feathers on the fore part
and middle ot'.the back dusky, excepting the tips ; the scapulars, wings,
upper tail-coverts, and tail black ; two broad bands of white on the