THK



109



Mvtcultural flfcagastne,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCI ETY.



7hird Series —VOL. It. — NO. 4 .—All rights reserved. FEBRUARY, 1911.



NOTES ON THE BREEDING OF THE CROSSBILL.


By Allen Silver.


In Vol. 5, N.S., pages 55 and 56, Mr. St. Quintin gives an

interesting account of the breeding of Pmicola enucleator. Unless

my search through our Magazine to date has been too hurried, I

can find no instance of the successful breeding of Crossbills, and

having been requested by our Editor to contribute some notes,

I intend to deal here with an experience relating to this, enjoyed

last year by a friend of mine at Tunbridge Wells.


I11 a pigeon-house aviary were confined five examples of

Loxia curvirostra, three males and two females, in company with

Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Siskins, Redpolls, at least one Chaf¬

finch, a Bramblefinch and some Reed-buntings. The enclosure,

which was boarded in top and bottom and one end, with the

exception of perches and a bundle of fir twigs pushed tightly

together up one corner, was bare and did not approach natural

surroundings in the least. Nevertheless, after a time he dis¬

covered that the Crossbills were breeding, and, if my memory

serves me correctly, the young were a good size before he became

aware of the fact.


Whilst staying in Tunbridge Wells I paid a visit to Mr.

Reed and closely questioned him regarding his pets. He assured

me that the young were fed entirely from the crop, and that he

supplied the parents with seed, fir cones, and branches covered

with green aphides, which they freely devoured. The change in

the shape of the young birds’ bills occurred at an early age. *



* Tlie tips of their bills overlapped almost directly 011 leaving the nest; at any rate

fourteen days after this character was fully matured.



