52 The Common Ckossbill 



Family— FRIXGILLIDrE. Subfamily— FRINGILLIAVE. 



The Common Crossbill. 



Loxta iUi'7'iyosira, Lixx. 



ACCORDING to Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, tliis species inhabits " the gi-eater 

 part of Europe and Northern Asia, to Japan and North China, Himakn-as, 

 North America as far as Mexico. 



lu Great Britain, the Crossbill is principall}' confined during the summer 

 mouths to the pine forests of Scotland ; though it has bred in several of the 

 eastern counties of Ireland, and in Tipperary, as well as in North Wales and 

 some of the counties of England : here, however, it is most frequently met with 

 during the winter, .sometimes in flocks, though often only in small parties. 



In colouring this species nearly resembles the Two-barred Crossbill, excepting 

 in the absence of the white tips to the greater and median wing-coverts : perhaps 

 the male is a little less brilliant in colour, and the female a little more orange ; 

 but as these birds vary in these respects with age, it is not safe to speak positively' : 

 one thing is certain — that, in captivity the red colouring is entireh- lost after the 

 first moult; but whether permanently it is not safe to sa_v without experimenting, 

 inasmuch as many birds, notably the American Nonpareil (Cyaiiospiza ciris) lose 

 their red colouring in the same manner ; yet the Nonpareil, at an}- rate if 

 exposed in an airy and sunny aviary for a j-ear or two, and supplied with plenty 

 of insect-food, reproduces the red colouring. The mandibles of the young bird 

 are straight, the lower mandible being covered by the cutting edges of the upper ; 

 but in the adult birds it curves upwards towards the tip, that of the male (in 

 the ordinary variety) barely reaching to a level with the culmen of the upper 

 mandible, on the inside if viewed from above ; that of the female, which has much 

 the longer, less arched, and more slender beak, projecting well above the culmen 

 on the outside. This different crossing of the mandibles in the sexes probably 

 enables the male to feed the female ; otherwise it is difficult to understand its 

 object.* 



The Crossbill is an irregular migrant ; consequently if food is scarce in the 

 north, it wanders southward to search for sustenance there : in winter the species 



• Since writing the above, I find that this character is not constant; it would, therefore, be of interest 

 to note whether pairs are ever shot from one nest having their beaks similarly crossed. A.G.B. 



