CROSSBILL. 201 



fcarded. Absolute proof that tin's yellowish-green suit (which 

 is that almost invariably assumed by caged birds) is ulti- 

 mately replaced by one of red is wanting ; but, though the 

 wearers of this livery may not unfrequently be found breed- 

 ing in it, there is good reason to believe that the change 

 takes place.* As it is there is great variation in the bril- 

 liancy of the colour, whether yellowish-green, yellow, orange 

 or red.f 



A red male, that had completed his first autumnal moult, 

 had the bill dull reddish-brown, darkest towards the tip of 

 the upper mandible : hides dark brown : the head, rump, 

 throat, breast and belly, tile-red ; the feathers on the back 

 mixed with brown, producing a chestnut-brown ; wing- and 

 tail-feathers, nearly uniform dark brown ; vent, and lower 

 tail-coverts, greyish-white : legs, toes and claws, dark brown. 

 The middle figure of the woodcut represents such a bird. 



A second male killed at the same time as that last de- 

 scribed, had the head, rump and lower surface of the body, 

 pale yellow, tinged with green ; the back olive-brown ; wings 

 and tail like those of the red bird. 



A third male, also killed at the same time, had the top 

 of the head and the hack reddish-brown mixed with dark 

 orange ; rump reddish-orange ; upper tail-coverts bright 

 orange; chin, throat and upper part of the breast, red, 

 passing lower down and on the sides, to orange. 



Red males moulting in confinement change to greenish- 

 yellow, or sometimes to bright yellow, and hence has arisen 

 the misconception of many ornithologists that the yellow 

 colour was that of the normal older livery ; hut in captivity 

 several instances are known of red and yellow examples 



* The Editor n compelled t<> differ Erom the opinion of 



bia friend .Mr. Hancock (B. North umb. &c. p, 50) on the subject of the change 

 nt' plumage in birds of tbia •_■ • • m 1 1 -^ as well aa of tin- genua Linota [pige 158). 

 Unfortunately tli n a laxity on the part of observers in recording 



whetbei ervations have been caged birds or at liberty. 



+ Exampl 1 in which the wing-coverts have bright red ed 



Buch bird* are the ( 'rucirostra 



bifaaciata of C. L. Brehm — ami on figured bj Bonaparte and Bet 



(Monogr. Lox. pi. 5). The Editor does not know of any example of this variety 

 lu\ ing been observed in Britain. 



