Birds, 65 



manner, I have captured great numbers ; many with a horse- 

 hair noose, fixed on the end of a fishing-rod, which I managed 

 to sh'p over the head when they were feeding, and, by drawing 

 it quickly towards the body, I easily secured them ; others I 

 took with a limed twig, fixed in such a manner in the end of 

 the rod that on touching the bird it became immediately dis- 

 engaged from it, adhered to the feathers, rendered the wings 

 useless, and caused the poor bird to fall perfectly helpless on 

 the ground. In this manner, in windy weather, I have taken 

 several from the same tree, without causing any suspicion of 

 danger. On warm sunny days, after feeding a considerable 

 time, they would suddenly take wing, and, after flying round 

 for a short time in full chorus, alight on some lofty tree in 

 the neighbourhood of the plantations, warbling to each other 

 in low pleasing strains ; they would also fly from the trees 

 occasionally for the purpose of drinking, their food being of 

 so dry a nature. 



In captivity they were quickly reconciled, and soon became 

 very familiar. As, at first, I was not aware what food would 

 suit them, I fixed branches ^f the larch against the sides of 

 the room in which I had confined them, and threw a quantity 

 of the cones on the floor. I found that they not only closely 

 searched the cones on the branches, but, in a few days, not 

 one was left in the room that had not been pried into. I gave 

 them canary and hemp seed ; but, thinking the cones were 

 both amusement and employment, I continued to furnish them 

 with a plentiful supply. I had about four dozen of them ; 

 and frequently, whilst I have been in the room, they would 

 fly down, seize a cone with their beak, carry it to a perch, 

 quickly transfer it to their claws, and, in a very short time, 

 empty it of its seeds, as I have very many times witnessed, to 

 my surprise and amusement. As the spring advanced, the 

 male birds in the plantations were frequently singing on the 

 tops of the firs, in low but very agreeable notes ; yet they 

 continued in flocks, and were seen in some parts of the county 

 until the beginning of June. I had hopes of their breeding 

 in confinement, and I accordingly kept them in different rooms, 

 fixing the tops of young fir trees in the floor, and against the 

 walls, and supplying them w^ith as great a variety of food as 

 possible ; but all to no purpose, as neither those I had con- 

 fined in this manner, nor those in cages, ever showed any 

 inclination to breed. They are amusing birds in confinement, 

 as they have some of the habits of the parrot tribe ; climbing 

 about the cage with both beak and claws. 



Since 1822 I have seen but few crossbills; small flocks 

 have occasionally visited the fir plantations in the neighbour- 

 hood, but have remained only a short time. During the early 



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