40 FIELD-STUDIES OF RARER BIRDS 



mainly build in Scots firs, but sometimes in 

 spruces and larches, very occasionally in some 

 deciduous tree), and again out on a projecting bougii 

 some six feet from the stem and about thirty feet 

 from the ground, further, being situate on the field 

 flank of the tree. It contained four nestlings, per- 

 haps five days old ; in any case their eyes were 

 open. At this juncture it may not be out of place 

 to describe young Crossbills. 



Well then they are hatched blind ; and at first 

 the dull, darkly flesh-tinted body is scantily clad 

 here and there with plumes of softly-tinted, greyish- 

 brown down. The bill, which is quite straight, 

 though chubby, is yellow round the edges of the 

 mandibles, a tint which shades into greyish- 

 green on the upper one, to flesh -colour on the 

 lower. The interior of the mouth is very notice- 

 able, being a combination of vivid carmine and 

 purple. The tongue, however, is flesh-tinted . . . 

 In their first full plumage, acquired when about a 

 fortnight old, they sport the following dress 

 Upper-parts : head, dark brown with a huffish 

 edging to each feather ; back, dark greyish-brown 

 with similar facings of buff or fawn ; rump, quite 

 decided buff streaked with dark-brown ; wings, 

 dark greyish-brown with faint edgings of pale 

 fawn. Under-parts: breast, buffish ; and belly, 

 nearly white, the whole striated with dark brown. 

 Legs, leaden pink ; claw nails, strong and grey. 

 Bill, still quite straight, but large and full, with 



