LOUSE. 



LOXIAD.K. 



LOUSE. [PEDUTLf*; Axorn-nv] 

 LOUSK PLANT. [Arms.) 

 LOUSE-WORT. [PEDICliLARB.] 



LOVAGE. [HALOSCIAS.J 

 LOVE-APPLE. [Soui.xuM.1 

 LOXAltAKK. [ONCIIOXA.] 

 l.oXIA. [LOXIAW.K.] 



LOXl'AD.K, Mr. Vigor* 1 * nuie for a family of Bird* placed by 

 him a* the extreme of the tribe of Conirottrri, which is the third 

 tribe of hu /luruoro, or Perching Bird*, and intervene* between the 

 Uentirostral and Seaoaorial tribe* in hi* system. 



Mr. Vigor* remark*, that notwithstanding their inferiority of size, 

 OHM speciM of the family may be obaerred to equal even the Horn- 

 bill*, allowance being made for their relative proportion*, in the extreme 

 enlargement of the bill. " The curved and serrated bill of the latter 

 family" (Hornbill.), ay* Mr. Vigor*, "perceptibly hortening itself, 

 as we have perceived in J/omo/m, U still carried on to a corresponding 

 group in the present, the Phytotoma, Orael., where these characters 

 are preserved, though the curve is slighter and the serration less 

 strong. United to that genu* by some intermediate but uncharacterised 

 species, the Cofcoikraiuta, Briss., conducts us to several groups, among 

 which P,tylta, Cuv., Stntilophaga, VieilL, the true Loxia of authors, 

 and PiittiroHra, Temm., may be distinguished ; whence we pus to the 

 shorter-billed groups, among which Colim, Linn., and Cittopu, VieilL, 

 may be particularised. These are but few of the natural genera 

 which abound in this extensive family. Many intervening species, 

 possessing strong genuine dutiuctions, may be introduced among these 

 groups, which at length terminate in some of the shorter and strouger- 

 billed specie* of the Unnean Tanager*. These, it will be remembered, 

 commenced the present tribe (Couirottret) by their union with the 

 Pri*yillida : and thus here also the circular succession of affinities 

 extends uninterrupted through the whole sub-division." (' Natural 

 Affinities that Connect the Orders and Families of Birds,' ' Linn. 

 Trans.,' vol. xiv.) 



Mr. Swainson (' Classification of Bird* ') appears to reject the family 

 altogether; for we find J'kytotoma among the Phytotomina, a sub- 

 family of Mutofhagidce ; Coccothrauttn under the sub-family Cocco- 

 Ihrauttintt ; Pitylut under the sub-family Tanagnwz ; Slrobilopltaga 

 under the ' Oeneric names not adopted ;' Loxia, and Ptittirolra in the 

 sub-family Pyrrhuliiut ; Coliiu in the sub-family Colitue (family 

 M tuopAayida) ; Ciuopia (Ciuopit) cancelled ; and the Tanagers under 

 the sub-family Tonagritur ; the sub-families, with the exception of 

 the two placed under the M u*>i>liagi<lir, being arranged under the 

 family Pringillida. Mr. Swainson's Controttra (his second tribe ol 

 Jntfuortt) conairt of the families Corrida, Sturnida, FnngiUida, 

 Mutopkagidtz, with their sub-families, and Bueeritltr. 



The most important genu* is Loxia, of which M. Temminck remarks 

 that its character* exclude all other species, being proper to the Cross- 

 bills only, llliger, be observes, in his 'Prodromus' is also of this 

 opinion. 



Loria (Crossbill). Bill moderate, strong, very much compressed . 

 the two mandibles equally curved, hooked, and the elongated points 

 crowing each other. Nostrils basal, lateral, rounded, concealed by 

 hairs directed forward*. Feet with three toes before and one behind 

 anterior toes divided. Wings moderate, the first quill longest Tat 

 forked. 



M. Temminck, who gives the above generic character, records two 

 specie*, L. Pytioptillaciu and L. cumrottra, in his second edition 

 (1820), and L. Itueoptera in his thud part of that edition (1885). The 

 same three species, the first under the name of L. pinetorum, are 

 recorded by Mr. Swainson. 



The specie* are found in the north both of Europe and America. 

 One specie* however, L. currirottra, is found in Japan as well as in 

 Mffc 



L. furriroj/ro, the Common Crowbill. Buffun speaks of the bill ii 

 thai* birds a* an error and defect in nature a deformity. If he ha< 

 ever kept these birds in a cage, be would soon have found that no 

 instrument could have been better adapted to the work required of it 

 and if they bad ever vuitod hi* orchard* he would have been con 

 vinoed to his cost of its efficacy in iplitting fruit* for the purpose o 

 getting at the kernels. 



Mr. Yarrell has well illuntrated the structure and moving power o 

 this organ, which, conjoined with the peculiar tongue, will be founc 

 a most perfect and beautiful piece of mechanism for attaining the cm 

 in view. 



" The beak of the Crowbill," (/,. CNrrirorfra) writes the author la* 

 mentioned, " U altogether unique in its form ; the mandibles do no 

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

 bird*, but curve to the right and left, and alway* in opposite direction 

 to each other. In some specimens the upper nmndihlo i turned tc 

 the right, the tower mandible curved to the left; in other*, the po*i 

 lion of the mandible* is reversed as to their direction. In the spec 

 men I examined the upper mandiblo curved downward* and to th 

 left, the under portion turned upwards and to the right. Whei 

 holding the head of this bird in my fingers, I found I could bring th 

 l-iinl of the under mandible in a line underneath and touching th 

 point of the upper, but not beyond it toward* the left side ; while 01 

 it* own side the point paued with ease to the distance of 3-8th* of a 



nch. The upper mandible has a limited degree of motion on the 

 cranium, the superior maxillary and nasal bone* being united to the 

 rontal by flexible bony laminic." 



Head of Crowbill. 



Mr. Yarrell then proceeds to the detail* of the anatomy, whic'j be 

 llustrates by the seven figures copied below. He first notices the 

 sculiarity of the form, as well as of the magnitude of the processes 

 if some of the bones of the head in this bird, and points out that the 

 >terygoid processes of the palatine bones are considerably elongated 

 lownwards (fig. 3, a) to afford space for the insertion of the large 

 >teryj?oid muscles. The os omoideum (fig. 3, 6) is strongly articulated 

 a the os quadratum (jig. 3, c), affording firm support to the movcable 

 portion of the upper mandible. The jugal bone (fig. 8, rf <i) is united 

 a the superior maxillary bone in front, and firmly attached by its 

 Tosterior extremity to the outer side of the on quadratum. Thus, 

 when the os quadratum is pulled upwards and forwards by its own 

 proper muscles, the upper mandible is elevated by the forward pressure 

 if that bone. 



d t 



1. Skull of CroMblll, ilile rlew ; , temporal mniclr ; , (Treat pyramidal 

 muMle. 



3. Head viewed from below ; , frreal pyramlibl muwle ; f, r, pterygold 

 muacle* ; 4, d, gracilr* muKln. 



5. He*d viewed from the ldo ; a, ptcrygold procew ; 4, o* omoideum ; t, o* 

 quadrature ; rf, <*, o jiinnlo. 



4. Head viewed from behind ; a, right temporal mmcle ; i, great pyramidal 

 mulc. 



5. Lower Jaw, tide view ; a, cavity for articulation ; '<, , coronold prod>e. 

 8. Tonirur, wen from above; a, horny ncoop; , *, extnor mucle. 



7 . Tiinjtne, >ido view ; a, horny wooji ; , extensor mucl< ; c, flexor mucle. 

 (Tamil, 'Zool. Journ.,' vol. iv.) 



In most other birds the inferior projecting process of the os 

 quadratum, to which the lower jaw in articulated, is somewhat linear 

 from before backward*, and compressed at the sides, permitting 

 vertical motion only upwards and downwards; but in the Crossbill 



