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CHAPTER IV. 
PERCHING BIRDS—continued. 
a instances of the appearance of the Cross- 
bill (Loxvia curvirostra) have come under my notice. 
Many years since a large flock visited a number of Scotch 
firs and larches which grew around the house of a friend 
of mine in the village, although I cannot specify the 
exact year. Of course their rarity made them an object 
of attraction, and one of them was captured alive by my 
friend in a rather singular manner. The surface of a 
small pool of water in his stable yard happened to be 
covered with chaff and dust, which had blown upon it 
from a quantity deposited near; on this treacherous 
surface one of the flock, a male, descended, but the poor 
bird was speedily undeceived by sinking into the water, 
and so wetted his plumage that he was unable to rise, 
and became an easy capture. My friend put it in a 
cage, where it spent no time in unnecessary regrets, but 
cheerfully resigned itself to its confinement, being plenti- 
fully supplied with fir-cones, on the seeds of which it 
eagerly fed ; here it remained for several months, when 
it was accidentally liberated by the servant. 
On the 18th of February, 1556, a small flock of fifteen 
visited some elm and larch trees at Edwinstowe, where 
they were extracting the seeds from the few remaining 
