130 CROSSBEAKS. 



longing to this house* ; the water-ousel is said to 

 haunt the mouth of the Lewes river, near Newhaven ; 



* The species of cross-bills are only three in number. One, 

 loxla curvirostra, pays frequent visits, in flocks of from ten to 

 eighty or a hundred in number, during the winter. The loxia 

 pittyopsittacus has only been once recorded as a native of this 

 country, from a specimen killed in Ross-shire, and now in my 

 possession ; it can, therefore, only be ranked as an occasional 

 visitant : it is a native of Germany and North America. The 

 third species, loxia falcirostra, also a native of North America, 

 has once been shot within two miles of Belfast, Ireland, the 

 only authenticated instance of its visiting our coasts. In a late 

 number of the Zoological Journal, Mr. Yarrel (whom we have 

 already had occasion to mention as a most persevering naturalist), 

 has supplied some very interesting facts regarding the formation 

 and direction of the beak of the common cross-bill, and which, 

 we think, are here worthy of notice : " The beak of the cross- 

 bill is altogether unique in its form ; the mandibles do not lie 

 upon each other, with their lateral edges in opposition, as in other 

 birds, but curve to the right and left, and always in opposite di- 

 rections to each other. In some specimens, the upper mandibles 

 curve downwards and to the left ; the under portion turned up- 

 wards, and to the right. When holding the head of this bird in 

 my ringers, I found I could bring the under mandible in a line 

 underneath, and touching the point of the upper, but not beyond 

 it, towards the left side ; while, on its own side, the point passed 

 with ease to the distance of3-8ths of an inch. The upper man- 

 dible has a limited degree of motion on the cranium, the superior 

 maxillary and nasal bones being united to the frontal by flexible 

 bony laminae. 



" The form as well as the magnitude of the processes of some 

 of the bones of the head are also peculiar to this bird. The pte- 

 rygoid processes of the palatine bones are considerably elongated 

 downwards, to afford space for the insertion of the large ptery- 

 goid muscles. The os omoideum on each side is strongly articu- 

 lated to the os quadratum, affording firm support to the upper 

 mandible. The jugal bone is united to the superior maxillary 

 bone in front is firmly attached by its posterior extremity to 

 the outer side of the os quadratum : when, therefore, the os 

 quadratum is pulled upwards and forwards by its own peculiar 

 muscles, the jugal bone on each side, by its pressure forwards, 

 elevates the upper mandible. 



" The inferior projecting process of the os quadratum, to 



