THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 87 
cropping the tender buds, a difficulty mostly ensues, 
in which the weaker party is compelled to retire. 
But the most remarkable and noteworthy member 
of the Finch family is the Crossbill. The singular 
form of the bill, and the peculiar manner in which 
it collects its food, give it a more than usually inter- 
esting character. There are two species, differing 
somewhat in their plumage, as well as in the locality 
in which they are found. The Common Crossbill, 
which appears to be the most abundant, inhabits dur- 
ing winter the pine forests of the Northern and Mid- 
dle States, extending its migrations as far south as 
Maryland. They congregate in small flocks or fami- 
lies, and glean among the ripened cones of the Firs 
and Pines, where they find an abundant supply of 
nutritious food in the sweet kernels, which they de- 
tach from the husks with great dexterity. At first 
sight the bill of this bird appears like a deformity, 
but upon further observation we find that for the 
purpose to which it is applied by the owner, no better 
form could have been adopted; and we are obliged 
to confess that Nature, in thus deviating from the 
usual form, understood well her own purposes, and 
that instead of its being a monstrosity, it is only an- 
other striking proof of the wisdom and skill of an 
Omnipotent Creator. Their food, although consist- 
ing principally of the seeds of the Pine and other 
cone-bearing trees, is not by any means confined to 
them. When in the vicinity of an orchard, if there 
is any fruit, they are sure to be among it, cutting the 
apples to pieces to get at the seeds, of which they 
