THE PINE-GROSBEAK. 83 



Chakacters and allied forms. — p. e. kamtschatkensis (Kamt- 

 schatka and east Siberia) has shorter and thicker bill, while 

 five different forms are recognized in North America. Large 

 size, conspicuous white edgings to secondaries and wing-coverts, 

 and grey belly are specific characters. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts coniferous woods and in some districts 

 also birch-forest in subarctic regions of the Old World, and nests 

 at no great height on lateral branches, near trunk. Nest. — Recalls 

 Bullfinch's on larger scale, built of interlaced twigs, generally birch, 

 lined fine roots or wiry grasses. Eggs. — 4, sometimes 3 only, 

 5 once recorded ; deep greenish-blue, blotched and spotted boldly 

 blackish or bro^^-nisli-purple. Average of 100 eggs, 26.03 x 

 17.72 mm. Breeding-season. — From end May onward, usually 

 first half Jime. Incubation. — ^Lasts 14 days (noted in confine- 

 ment) ; by hen alone. One brood. 



Food. — Chiefly berries, catkins of birch, seeds and buds ; insects 

 also said to be taken. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. Some fifty recorded, 

 but most are not authenticated. Of recent years the following 

 records : One Notts., Oct. 30, 1890 (Saunders, p. 199) ; small 

 flock Kent and Sussex, Oct., 1905; two Kent, March 4, 1909; 

 two Sussex, Jan. 20, 1914 ; (c/. Brit. B., i, p. 247, vn, p. 292 ; Hist. 

 Birds Kent, p. 165). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Scandinavia and north Russia, north 

 Siberia. In winter spreading more or less regularly southwards 

 and westwards, occasionally as far as Italy and south France, 

 Represented by closely-allied forms in Kamtschatka and North 

 America. 



Genus LOXIA L. 



LoxiA LinnaBus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 171 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation — Gray 1840 — L. curvirostra ; according to Opinion 16 Intern. 

 Co mm. Nomencl. also by tautonymy). 



Adult birds alone among all other British birds with mandibles 

 crossing at tip, lower mandible being turned to left or right ; 

 when bird is hatched mandibles are perfectly parallel, but at 

 early age begin to cross. Bill compressed. Nostrils covered. 

 Wings long and pointed, three first visible primaries almost equal 

 and longest. Tail deeply emarginate, short but longer than half 

 wing. Tarsus shorter than middle toe with claw. Sexes different 

 in colour, young striped. Palaearctic and Nearctic faunal 

 regions, in Old World south to Philippines, in America south to 

 Guatemala. Three species, with a number of subspecies, in 

 "Europe. 



G 2 



