140 THE NATUEALIST IN NORWAY. 



they, gaping and screeching, surround her on all sides." 

 The Norwegian name of this species is stor korsnceb, 

 or great crossbill. 



The common crossbill (L. curvirostra) is called in 

 this country mindre korsnceb, or lesser crossbill, and is 

 not so common here as the preceding species. Its 

 habits are very similar. It lays four grayish- white eggs, 

 marked on different places with red and brown spots. 



The white-winged crossbill (L. bifasciata, Nilsson). 

 This bird is but little known to Norwegian natural- 

 ists, and is but an occasional visitor to this country. 

 The first known specimen in Sweden was shot near 

 Stockholm in 1792, and may be seen in the Zoological 

 Museum of that city ; one was shot near Christiania 

 in the autumn of 1840. The habits of this bird are 

 very similar to that of the other crossbills ; it is very 

 uncertain in its ways, and does not generally stay long 

 in one place; it remains almost always in the pine- 

 woods, and is very tame ; when the snow is on the 

 ground, it will even let itself be captured by the hand. 

 It builds its nest among the inner branches of a spruce- 

 fir, and lays five eggs, which are white, spotted with 

 yellow. 



Of the " Columbidae," the wood pigeon is the only 

 species that is at all common in this country. 



The wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) does not ven- 

 ture further north than the Nordre Throndjem Amt ; 

 it is common in Gudbrandsdalen, Hedemarken, and 

 Hallingdal. It arrives in the south of Norway in the 

 beginning of April, and migrates towards the end of 

 September ; its Norwegian name is ringduen, or ring- 

 dove ; it makes its nest in this country on fir-trees. 



