CROSSBILL. 201 



tardecl. Absolute proof that this j'ellowish-green suit (which 

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

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

 wearers of this livery may not uufrequently 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 : irides 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 back 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 ; but in captivity 

 several instances are known of red and yellow examples 



* The Editor regrets being here again compelled to differ from the opinion of 

 his friend Mr. Hancock (B. Northumb. &c. p. 50) on the subject of the change 

 of plumage in birds of this genus as well as of the genus Linota (pige 158). 

 Unfortunately there has been a laxity on the part of observers in recording 

 whether the objects of their observations have been caged birds or at liberty. 



t Examples are mentioned iu which the wing-coverts have bright red edges. 

 Such birds are regarded by some as forming a distinct species— the Crucirostra 

 hifasciata of C. L. Brehm — and one of them is figured by Bonaparte and Schlegel 

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

 having been observed in Britain. 



