4oS 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



The 

 Crossbill. 



blaikbcrrics. iiioimUuii :ish. hawilioni. piiM'l, 

 dew, mid olluT berries also assist lo a f^ood 

 moull, and aid in getting tlie good colour so 

 important in an cxiiibition bird. Bullfinelies 

 arc also fond of seeding chickweed and olher 

 green stuff. A good exbil)ili()n speeinien should 

 be well matured, have a wide skull, a large 

 blaek cap of good shape with a glistening lustre 

 or ])olish over it. The various body colours 

 and their terminal points should be well defined 

 and have a nice bloom or finished appearance, 

 called " condition " by fanciers, and also be 

 ]H'rfeetly steady. A bath assists to keej) tlieni in 

 good health and ])luniage. Similar cages to lliose 

 recommended for the Greenlinch answer well. 

 The Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra (Linn.), a 

 resident and winter migrant, is a handsome 

 bint, especially noticeable for 

 the peculiar formation of its bill, 

 from which feature it deri\es 

 ils name; the man(lil)les cross each other and 

 are also curved towards the end, the to]) one 

 down and the bottom one u[). The general 

 colour of the male is pale vermilion ; the wings 

 and tail are dark iimber-brown tinted with 

 verndlion. The general colour of the female is 

 yellowish-green tinted with olive. There 

 appears lo be some varialion in colour according 

 to age, the adult male pulling on much of tlie 

 female colour after a moull in cai)tivity. I'lic 

 Crossbill is not a conmion bird in luigland, 

 generally frequenting lir plantations and l)reed- 

 ing in the pine districts of Scotland, liclaud. 

 and Wales. It feeds chiefly on I he seeds of 

 I)ines. cleverly extracting the seeds from the 

 cones with Ihe hook-like i)oinls of its bill ; it 

 also eats berries and olher seeds, and is tomi 

 of the jiips of an apple, wliicli it will skilfully 

 extract from the core. The Crossbill's cage 

 must be all wiie. like those for (>)ckateels and 

 liudgcrigars. for it would soon destroy a wooden 

 one. II should be fed upon canary, rape, 

 sunflower seeds, a little In iiip ami lir cones. 

 A piece of apple or ils pips can be f^ucu 

 occasionally, and a few juniper berries wlicii in 

 season, of which it is very fond. The Crossbill's 

 song is somewhal harsh, and not at all prelt\. 

 Suii-i AiMii.Y i;Miii;Hizi.N.i:. — In this specks 

 the form of Ihe bill is the leading characterisi ic. 

 and separates the ISunlings frdui the oilier 

 I''inclies ; in maii\ llie internal rout (it tlu' 

 mandible prdjeets In a hanl kimli. willi llic 

 maxilla strong, forming an angle at the gape. 



The Corn Bunting. lunluTiza miliarid (l.inn.), 

 is a resident and migraul Ihroughout the 

 British Isles ; though oeeurring 

 very locally, ils range extends 

 lo the Shetlands and through- 

 out luniipe. where it is most numerous in the 

 south and centre parts. It is a Ihick-sel bird 



The Corn 

 Bunting. 



of plain ])luiiiage. rather larger than the rest 

 of the true Bunllii;is. The general colour is 

 sandy-brown, with blackish centres lo the 

 feathers, giving a streaked appearance ; the 

 wing-coverts arc edged with sandy-bulf, Ihe 

 Inown shading to dull white on the abdomen. 

 It is a noble-looking bird, but has little song, 

 and this is harsh and unmusical. The female 

 is smaller and paler in colour. The Corn 

 Bunting feeds ])rineipally on grains and other 

 seeds, for breaking or shelling which the hanl 

 knob or tooth in the upper mandible is adiiiiiabty 

 adapted. While seeking its food on the ground 

 it (hniblless jiicks up insects as 'well, csjiecially 

 during Ihe breeding season, as most Buntings 

 are fond of a meal-worm or a small smootli, 

 green caterpillar. It is a good exhibition bird, 

 Ihe essential points being size, good shape, 

 I'ich colour, the darker stripes on Ihe breast 

 and Hanks plentiful and well detined, and the 

 bird steady in its cage. Ils cage should be 

 similar lo those for the olher Finches, the 

 living cage not less than 20 or 21 inches long, 

 and the show cage 14 inches long, 12 inches 

 high, and 6 inches deej) ; colour inside mid- 

 green, outside black, b'or diet, gi\e canaiN 

 seed with a few whole oats and a tilth' grass 

 seed. Occasionally' add a few grains of liciiip 

 or sunflower seeds, and once or twice a week a 

 half leas|)oonful of good insectivorous food 

 made ciumbly moist. A meal worm or two 

 ))er day and the various succulenl wild seeds 

 may be olfered whene\er procurable, b'rec 

 access lo the balh should be given at all limes. 

 The Yellow Bunting. Embcriza cilrinrlla 

 ([.inn.), commonly called the Yetlow-hanimer, 

 is a handsome resideiil and 

 Yellow bleeds almost everywhere in 



Bunting. 11^^ IJritish Isles except the 



extreme iioitli of Scotland. It is kiinwu lo 

 almost every couidry dweller by ils conlinuous 

 little song uttered from Ihe top of the hedge, 

 which sounds as if it were calling for " a liltle- 

 bil-of-bread-iio-cheese." The head, throat, and 

 bi-i'asl are rich yellow, the head being marked 

 on each siile of the crown willi ilark green in 

 llie form of a \'. iiieetiiiL; (Hi the tdrclii'ail at 

 the base <d' the bill. Belweeii thesi' two strijies 

 some specimens are much dappled with small 

 specks of dark ,L;reeii : liiil the more free ficmi 

 tliese tile more \alualile is tin- bird for exhibit ion 

 purposes. Andlhei- streak passes before and 

 behind Ihe eye. and there is also a ]iateli on 

 the ear-coverts. The upper iiortimi of llie 

 body is brown streaked with blackish-brown ; 

 Ihe ium|i is vinous-cheslnul ; the lower |)orlioiis 

 of the breast, sides, and Hanks are lieli chest mil, 

 but llie Hanks are heavily striped with blackish- 

 brown : Ihe wings and tail ai'i' lilaekish-brown, 

 ri\''ri\ wilh iMownish-orange. Tlie female dilTers 



