LOXIA. 29 
The chief characteristic in the present group of birds is their parrot-like 
‘bill, the upper mandible being curved to such an extent that it overlaps 
the under mandible at the point, in some species crossing its point. An 
almost equally important character is the change which takes place in the 
colour of the plumage from the young to the adult, beginning with green 
and passing through yellow into red. 
This genus probably contains only four well-defined species, several of 
which are, however, subject to considerable local variation. The range of 
this genus is principally confined to the Paleearctic and Nearctic Regions, 
extending in the former to the Himalayas and in the latter to the Mexican 
plateaux. 
The Crossbills frequent fir-, pine-, and larch-forests during the breeding- 
season ; but at other times of the year they frequently haunt gardens, 
orchards, deciduous woods, and small plantations and shrubberies. After 
the breeding-season they are more or less gregarious and often associate 
with other birds. Their song is low and somewhat sweet, and their call- 
notes are harsh, but sometimes more musical. They breed very early, 
often before the snow is melted. Their nests are open and cup-shaped, 
made of twigs, moss, rootlets, wool, &c., and placed at various heights 
in conifer trees. Their eggs are five or six in number, white or bluish 
white in ground-colour, spotted and blotched with reddish brown of 
different shades. Their food consists of seeds, fruits, berries, and insects 
of different kinds. 
