90 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



others the following year (Zool., 1890, p. 199, and 

 Irish Nat., 1892, p. 6). 



Crossbills feed on insects as well as seeds [Zool., 

 1890, p. 414, and 1895, p. 228). Saxby ("Birds of 

 Shetland ") gives a good account of the way in which 

 they deal with rowan-berries, and feed on aphides 

 and small green caterpillars on the sycamore. 



For some instructive remarks on change of plum- 

 age, see Wheelwright, Zool, 1862, p. 8001. The 

 male bird breeds in a yellow dress before acquiring 

 the red plumage of maturity, which is assumed 

 gradually after two or three moults. 



The Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pityopsittacus, Bech- 

 stein), PI. 11, figs. 5, 6, which frequents the pine- 

 woods of Scandinavia and Northern llussia, is 

 regarded by some ornithologists as merely a large 

 race of the Common Crossbill, and not entitled even 

 to subspecific rank. See Sharpe, " Cat. Birds Brit. 

 Mus.," vol. xii. p. 439, and Saunders, "Manual," 

 p. 194. On the other hand, see Blyth (who re- 

 garded the two forms as distinct), Zool., 1863, 

 p. 8327, and A. G. More, Zool, 1892, p. 76, with 

 editorial note. Prof. Newton regards them as 

 specifically distinct (Yarrell, 4th ed., vol. ii. p. 207), 

 and figures the sternum of each, in which there are 

 manifestly points of diiference to be observed. In 

 these circumstances it may be convenient to in- 

 clude the Parrot Crossbill in the second part of this 

 volume, in order to give a list of the records of its 

 occurrence. 



