206 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of the fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds ' will 

 be found some quaint quotations from two authors 

 concerning the visitation of Crossbills to this country 

 in the years 1251 and 1593, and the damage done by 

 them in the apple-orchards by boring into the fruit 

 to extract the pips. In connection with this we may 

 state that although we have found our tame birds 

 of this species very fond of the pips of apples, w^e 

 never could induce them to extract the said pips from 

 the fruit for themselves. The plumage of the Cross- 

 bill varies, according to age and sex, from a yellowish 

 grey with brown stripes in the nestling birds to an 

 almost uniform dull red in adult males, and a general 

 yellowish green in the females ; the long wing- 

 feathers and tails are always brown, though the shades 

 of this colour vary considerably. We have found 

 that in captivity the red birds invariably lose that 

 colour at the moult, assuming a plumage of what, for 

 w^ant of a better expression, we may term a brownish 

 green, and never regaining their brighter dress. The 

 ordinary call of this species is a loud single note 

 frequently repeated, but both sexes have a pleasant 

 murmuring sort of song. 



Since the above article appeared in our ' North- 

 amptonshire Natural History Journal,' I received, on 

 October 23rd, 1894, a stuffed specimen of Crossbill 

 in green plumage, from Mr. G. Bazeley, of North- 

 ampton, wdio subsequently informed me that it was 

 one of several sent to him for preservation killed at 

 Harleston Firs, out of a flock of about 100 that had 

 been haunting that locality for some weeks. One of 

 this flock in brilliant red plumage was knocked down 

 by a gamekeeper's son with a piece of stick thrown 

 at it. 



