424 THE COMNON CROSSBILL. 



selves. The two then left the house for three months. On Friday last the 

 lintie returned with two young ones. It entered the house quite familiarly, 

 and hopped from Mr to Mrs Speed's hand. It visited all the corners of the 

 house. The young ones, however, would not enter, but waited patiently 

 outside until the old one came out with food. On being fed all flew away. ' 



(It did not say whether these were green or brown linnets.) 

 In winter they go in flocks along with other birds, but at dusk 

 separate and roost amongst evergreens or firs by themselves. It 

 is the size of the sparrow, 6 J by 10 J, but looks bigger, from its 

 larger head and bill. It is a pretty bird — upper parts and 

 breast bright green, softening into yellow; head tinged with 

 grey ; edge of wing, with part of the outer webs of the primary 

 quills and base of the tail, bright yellow ; bill, pinkish ; legs, 

 pale brown ; and iris, hazel. Female similar, but not so bright, 

 and less. The next allied genus is that of Loxia (crossbill), in 

 which Linnseus included the grosbeaks, bullfinches, and many 

 hard-billed birds, kept separate by classifiers — the Linnaean 

 genera being generally more extensive than theirs. There are 

 only three species of crossbills found in Europe — two in 

 Britain, but I know of only one seen near St Andrews. 



The Common Crossbill. 

 Loxia Curvirostra. (Linn.) 



" And that bird is called the ci-ossbill, 

 Covered all with blood so clear ; 

 In the groves of pine it singeth 



Songs, like legends, strange to hear." — Longfellow. 



Longfellow wrote this poem from the German legend of 

 Julius Moson — the blood-red colour of the bird attributed to its 

 efforts to prize out the nails from the hands on the Cross by its 

 cross-pointed bill, as the robin is said to have got its red breast 

 by picking out the thorns from His brow. Thus are legends 

 manufactured from the birds : — 



" On the Cross the dying Saviour 



Heavenward lifts His eyelids calm, 

 Feels, but scarcely feels, a trembling ,o 



In his pierced and bleeding palm. 



