5-^ Short Communications : — 



pended from the bough of a tree, where it had been placed by 

 the person who had shot it. Atkinson, in his Compendium of 

 British Ornithology^ mentions a bird of this species being 

 killed in Somersetshire a few years since. 



Crossbills (Ldxia curvirostra) were shot in the same planta- 

 tions [which are spoken of in p. 53., in the notice of the haw- 

 finch], where they were often seen during the last winter, and 

 generally feeding on a variety of spruce fir bearing a small 

 cone. I have invariably found the crossbill preferring the 

 larch to every other tree of the pine tribe, except in this 

 instance, when the seeds of the small cones of this variety of 

 spruce fir appeared to be their favourite food. I have seen 

 them feeding on the common spruce fir, and occasionally on 

 the Scotch and Weymouth pines, but seldom on the two last 

 mentioned. 



Rusticus (of Godalming), in his esteemed communication 

 (VI. 111—116.) of " More about Birds," in speaking of the 

 habits of the crossbill, says (VI. 113.), that the idea of its 

 " holding the fir cone in the claw, and extracting the seeds 

 with the beak, must have been suggested by some wag to a 

 credulous naturalist." Now, I do not in the least doubt 

 but Rusticus is perfectly correct, as far as he may have had 

 opportunities of observing the habits of this species, and, as 

 he mentions the acts of individuals which he observed feeding 

 on the Scotch pine, he may not have closely watched the 

 movements of this species when on the larch. 



From October, 1821, to the middle of May in 1822, cross- 

 bills were very numerous in this county, and, I believe, ex- 

 tended their flights into many parts of England. Large 

 flocks frequented some plantations of fir trees in this vicinity 

 from the beginning of November to the following April. I 

 had almost daily opportunities of watching their movements ; 

 and so remarkably tame were they, that, when feeding on fir 

 trees not more than fifteen or twenty feet high, I have often 

 stood in the midst of the flock, unnoticed and unsuspected. 

 I have seen them, hundreds of times, when on the larch, cut 

 the cone from the branch with their beak, and, holding it 

 firmly in both claws, as a hawk would a bird, extract the 

 seeds with the most surprising dexterity and quickness. I do 

 not mean to assert this to be their general habit ; but it was 

 very frequently done when feeding on the larch. I have never 

 seen them attempt the like method with cones of the Scotch or 

 other species of pine, which would be too bulky for them to 

 manage. Their method with these, and, of course, most 

 frequently with the larch, was to hold firmly on the cone 

 with their claws ; and, while they were busily engaged in this 



