30 CROSSBILL. 



CROSSBILL. 



COMMON CROSSBILL. EUROPEAN CROSSBILL. SHELL-APPLE. 



PLATE XCII. FIGURE III. 



Loxia curvirostra, LINNAEUS. LATHAM. 



""VTTDIFICATION commences very early in foreign 

 -L ^ countries, even in January or February, the young 

 having been found fledged in March; also in May. 

 According to Temminck, these birds nestle at all seasons 

 of the year. Second broods must either follow the 

 earliest, or some pairs must delay their building. Several 

 often build together. 



The nest is placed in the angle of the junction of 

 the branches of a tree, naturally the fir, but the apple 

 also has been known, low down as well as high up, 

 and is loosely compacted of small twigs, grass, straws, 

 stalks, and moss or lichens, according with the colour 

 of the tree it is placed on, lined on the inside with the 

 dry leaves of the fir tree, and also with hair, moss, 

 wool, or feathers. They have been known only about 

 five or ten feet from the ground, and up to forty. The 

 edges of the nest extend from three to five inches 

 beyond the middle part. 



The eggs, four or five in number, are white or 

 greyish white, sometimes tinged with pale blue or 



