A Synopsis of the Birds of North AmericaAudubon, John James
Science
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
Audubon, John James
Birds -- Classification; Birds -- North America
Pine Grosbeak, Pyrrhula Enucleator, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p.
414.
GENUS XIII. LOXIA, Linn. CROSSBILL.
Bill rather long, stout at the base, where it is much higher than
broad, extremely compressed toward the end, the mandibles towards
their extremity deflected to opposite sides, so as to cross each
other; upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and deflected, the
sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, and towards the end united,
the tip excessively compressed and decurved; lower mandible with its
angle semicircular, the dorsal line ascending and convex, the edges
sharp, inflected, and approximated at the tip, which is extremely
acute. Nostrils small, basal, round, covered by the short bristly
feathers. Head large, broadly ovate; neck short; body compact. Feet
rather short and strong; tarsus short, compressed, with seven
scutella; toes of moderate size, the first strong, the lateral nearly
equal. Claws long, arched, very slender, much compressed, tapering to
a fine point, that of the middle toe nearly as long as that of the
first. Plumage soft, full, and blended. Two tufts of bristly feathers
at the base of the upper mandible directed forwards. Wings of moderate
length, pointed, the outer three primaries longest, the first
generally exceeding the rest. Tail short, distinctly emarginate. Roof
of the mouth concave, with three ridges, of which the median is much
smaller; tongue deeper than broad, at the end oblong, obtuse, concave
above, and horny; œsophagus dilated into a very large crop; stomach
roundish, muscular, with the epithelium rugous; intestine of moderate
length; cœca very small.
200. 1. Loxia curvirostra, Linn. Common Crossbill.
Plate CXCVII. Male, Female, and Young.
Male dull light red, inclining to vermilion; the wings and tail
blackish-brown, the feathers narrowly margined with dull red. Female
with the upper parts greyish-brown, tinged with green, the rump dull
greenish-yellow, the sides of the head and neck of the same colour as
the back, the lower parts pale greyish-yellow, brighter on the fore
part of the breast, wings and tail as in the male, but the feathers
edged with dull yellowish. Young with the central part of the feathers
greyish-brown, the edges yellowish-grey, the upper parts thus
appearing spotted, the lower streaked with dusky. Young males vary in
the tints of the plumage from yellowish-green to orange and vermilion.
_Male_, 7, 10.
From Maryland eastward and northward, to lat. 52. Breeds in
Pennsylvania, New York, and the north-eastern States to Nova Scotia.
Common. Migratory.
American Crossbill, Curvirostra americana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v.
iv. p. 44.
Loxia curvirostra, Bonap. Syn. p. 117.
Common Crossbill, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 583.
Common Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p.
559; v. v. p. 511.
201. 2. Loxia leucoptera, Gmel. White-winged Crossbill.
Plate CCCLXIV. Male, Female, and Young.
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