EUROPEAN CROSSBILL. 705 



beaks, and the occasional dropping of the cones they have 

 rifled. They always move from one part of the forest to 

 another, at a signal given by one of the party that acts as 

 leader, and is stationed on the summit of the tree. They mani- 

 fest their desire to move by uttering a sharp loud note, and 

 when the watchman observes any symptoms of impatience 

 among those below, among the branches, he takes the lead in 

 uttering his shrill note in a louder and more rapid manner than 

 the others, for a few seconds, and on his taking wing the rest 

 instantly let go the cones on which they have been operating, 

 and accompany him, flying in a compact body, and uttering 

 their note, as they fly along. They often take long flights, and 

 frequently return to a neighbouring tree after making a few 

 circuits. When feeding on the low branches of a tree, it is 

 surprising how little fear they exhibit, even when approached 

 so closely as to be almost within reach of the hand. Having 

 slightly wounded one in the wing, I carried it home and placed 

 it in a cage, with a quantity of larch cones, which it imme- 

 diately attacked, without showing any symptoms of fear, and 

 helped itself most plenteously. Shortly afterwards, however, 

 it died ; and this I attributed to my neglect in supplying it 

 with water to drink. I have often endeavoured to find out the 

 nests of these birds in the usual season, but never succeeded, 

 and was surprised at last by discovering that their brood are all 

 on the wing before their neighbours of the woods have set 

 about preparing their nests. I was attracted one day in the 

 end of February, during a heavy snow-storm, by the peculiar 

 chirping of nestlings in the act of feeding ; and on ascending 

 the tree found five or six Crossbills almost fully feathered and 

 quite vigorous, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, 

 snugly huddled together in a nest composed of small twigs ex- 

 ternally, and lined with matted wool. In mild seasons I sup- 

 pose they breed, even in this country, in the month of January. 

 They are not entirely destitute of song. I have often been de- 

 lighted with a concert of these birds, perched on the sunny side 

 of a tree. Although not loud, their song is pleasingly varied, 

 a good deal resembling that of the Bullfinch, and not unlike that 



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