128 SKETCHES FROM GRAVESEND. 



its correctness ; but there are two circumstances which give it the 

 appearance of probability. The first is, that there is one member of 

 this family, the Loxia Soda, or Sociable Grosbeak, found at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, which breeds in the manner I have suggested. 

 The other circumstance is, that whenever the Crossbill (Loxia cur- 

 virostra) appears in this country, it is generally in flocks. In my own 

 neighbourhood, a few years since, a small flight of these birds came 

 over and took possession of some high fir-trees in a garden close to 

 a gentleman's house; Here they remained during the summer, when 

 their progeny having arrived at maturity, they took their departure. 

 Their habits were very interesting, and their familiarity seemed to 

 imply that they had come from some region where man had not 

 wrested his powers to their molestation. On the other hand, I am 

 well aware that the bulfinch, and many others of this genus, are only 

 found in pairs ; so that doubts may exist on both sides. The nest was 

 composed of small roots, lichens, and small sticks, much resembling 

 that of the bulfinch, especially in the slightness of its contexture. 

 On reference to my diary, I find that it was brought to me on the 

 27th of May, with two young ones about half grown, and the male 

 parent, which had been caught in the same manner as in the preceding 

 summer. I let them loose in a large volary, and anxiously watched to 

 see whether he fed the young ones. Unfortunately I was taken sud- 

 denly ill, so that I could not bestow that personal attention to them I 

 should otherwise have done ; but I had the pleasure of seeing the old 

 bird eating hemp-seed, and of hearing that he .had repeatedly fed his 

 offspring. Notwithstanding this, however, they did not appear to 

 thrive, and after a "short time died, the father surviving his young 

 ones about a fortnight. 



I think it very probable that this species might be taught to pipe 

 tunes like the bulfinch, and wonder the experiment has not been 

 tried. There is one circumstance I have omitted, relative to the nidi- 

 fication of this genus, which is, that there is a small species of green 

 parrot which is gregarious ; and as I consider them nearly allied to the 

 Loxia family, (the parrot crossbill, or loxia pityo-psittacus, being the 

 connecting link,) this fact seems to favour the idea. I am a great 

 admirer of this genus, and think them very interesting. The bulfinch 

 especially I have paid great attention to. It is curious that of a nest 

 of six young ones I brought up last year, four of them are hens ; curi- 

 ous, because the cocks generally preponderate in about the same pro- 

 portion. I have for two years had one of them paired with a canary, 



