CROSSBILL. 195 



every conceivable attitude — hanging back downwards, or 

 extending themselves in any direction that may be neces- 

 sary to attain their object. When they, as they sometimes 

 do, feed on the buds of trees their movements are much 

 slower and quieter, resembling those of Bullfinches while 

 similarly engaged. The attention of a passenger is mostly 

 drawn to the presence of a flock of Crossbills in one or 

 other of two ways. He may notice the ground strewn with 

 the fragments of enucleated cones, or — and this possibly 

 the more often — he may hear a strange call-note, which has 

 been syllabled jip, jip, jip, frequently repeated, and on look- 

 ing up will find that it proceeds from birds that are ever and 

 anon flying out from the branches of a tree, generally a 

 conifer, and resettling upon it. Then he can stop to watch 

 their actions carefully, for these birds are almost invariably 

 tame and admit of a very close approach — so much so, 

 indeed, that instances are not uncommon in which they 

 have been ensnared by a running noose affixed to the end 

 of a long pole or fishing-rod and passed over their head, 

 or, touched with a limed twig, adroitly applied by the same 

 means, fall helpless victims to the ground. The firing of a 

 gun, though it may deal death to some of their numbers 

 seldom has any other effect than momentarily to alarm the 

 survivors, who after a short flight will return to the very trees 

 on which they were before engaged, or at least to others close 

 by. In one of these ways almost the whole flock may be pro- 

 cured if such be the desire of the captor. Unsuspicious as they 

 commonly are, in fine warm weather they become more diffi- 

 cult to take, for then the whole flock will at times suddenly 

 take wing and, after flying round for a minute or more utter- 

 ing their loud call-notes, will alight on some tall tree near by 

 and there sit, the cocks warbling to one another in an agreeable 

 tone, while the hens join in the concert with their scarcely less 

 musical chimes. This description however is that of the 

 birds' habits in very early spring and does not apply to 

 them in their limited family-parties somewhat later in the 

 season. Then they arc far less noisy, and such notes are 

 only uttered by the leaders of the band as will evoke a reply 



