THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
their acrobatic movements being due to their eagerness 
and desire to obtain berries and other seeds, the finest 
of which often grow at the extremities of the slender 
branches. ‘Their flight is undulating ; and their twitter- 
ing call-notes resemble those of the Linnet and other 
Finches, with which they often consort. In the breeding 
season the male has a sweet little song, uttered in a sub- 
dued tone. ‘The food of the Crossbill consists of the seeds 
of conifers, the cones of which are easily broken by the 
powerful crossed bill, various berries and small fruits, 
the pips of apples and pears, and in summer insects and 
larve. ‘The Crossbill has been found nesting as near to 
London as Kent and Surrey, but it is very unlikely that 
the student of London birds will ever be fortunate enough 
to meet with its home. It is a very early breeder, and 
retires chiefly to conifer woods and plantations for repro- 
duction. ‘The eggs are usually laid between February 
and April. ‘The nest, placed at various heights from the 
ground in a fir- or spruce-tree, often on a flat branch some 
distance from the trunk, is made of slender twigs, roots, 
and dry grass, lined with wool, hair, and a few feathers, 
closely resembling that of the Greenfinch. The four or 
five eggs are so like those of that species that a further 
description is unnecessary. Several nests are often found 
quite close together in the same belt of timber. ‘The old 
birds are very secretive during the breeding season, and 
he hen sits closely. 
The adult male Crossbill has most of the small feathers 
of the body scarlet, most brilliant on the rump, and with a 
brownish suffusion on the back; the wings and tail are 
brown, the centre of the abdomen pale grey. Bill brown ; 
tarsi and toes brown; irides dark brown. Length 6 
inches. ‘The female is greenish yellow, with the wings 
and tail similar in colour to those of the male. ‘The 
nestling is brown, palest on the abdomen, and streaked 
above and below with darker brown. After their first 
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