CROSSBILL 115 
The Common Crossbill of the Palearctic area, Lovia cur- 
virostra, is about the size of a Skylark, but more stoutly built. 
The young (which on leaving the nest have not the tips of the bill 
erossed) are of a dull olive colour with indistinct dark stripes on 
the lower parts, and the quills of the wings and tail dusky. After 
the first moult the difference between the sexes is shewn by the 
hens inclining to yellowish-green, while the cocks become diversified 
by orange-yellow and red, their plumage finally deepening into a 
rich crimson-red, varied in places by a flame-colour. Their glowing 
hues are, however, speedily lost by examples which may be kept in 
confinement, and are replaced by a dull orange, or in some cases 
by a bright golden-yellow, and specimens have, though rarely, 
occurred in a wild state exhibiting the same tints. The cause of 
these changes is at present obscure, if not unknown, and it must be 
admitted that their sequence has been disputed by some excellent 
authorities, but the balance of evidence is certainly in favour of 
the above statement. Depending mainly for food on the seeds of 
conifers, the movements of Crossbills are irregular beyond those of 
most birds, and they would seem to rove in any direction and ‘at 
any season in quest of their staple sustenance. But the pips of 
apples are also a favourite dainty, and it stands recorded by the 
old chronicler Matthew Paris (Hist. Angl. MS. fol. 252), that in 
1251 the orchards of England were ravaged by birds, “ pomorum 
grana, & non aliud de eisdem pomis comedentes” ; which, from his 
description, “Habebant autem partes rostri cancellatas, per quas 
poma quasi forcipi vel cultello dividebant,” could be none other but 
Crossbills. Notice of a like visitation in 1593 was published by 
Wats (Vit. 2 Offar. &c. 1640, p. 263), but of late it has become 
evident that hardly a year passes without Crossbills being observed 
in some part or other of England, while in certain localities in 
Scotland they seem to breed annually. The nest is rather rudely 
constructed, and the eggs, generally four in number, resemble 
those of the GREENFINCH, but are larger in size. This species 
ranges throughout the continent of Europe,! and, besides occurring 
in the islands of the Mediterranean, is permanently resident in 
Mauritania and in the fir-woods of the Atlas. In Asia it would 
seem to extend to Kamchatka and Japan, keeping mainly to the 
forest-tracts. 
Three other forms of the genus also inhabit the Old World— 
two of them so closely resembling the common bird that their 
specific validity has been often questioned. ‘The first of these, of 
large stature, the Parrot-Crossbill, L. pityopsittacus, comes occasion- 
ally to Great Britain, presumably from Scandinavia, where it is 
1 It was obtained by Dr. Malmgren on the desolate Bear Island (lat. 744° N.), 
and in the autumn of 1889 enormous flocks were observed migrating southward 
along the coast of Portugal by the present King of that country. 
