38 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



much darker upon the upper parts. At the second moulting 

 these colours are lost, and the bird's plumage becomes an 

 olive-brown, shaded over with greenish-yellow upon the 

 back, though it is much lighter upon the under parts, and 

 is speckled with orange upon the breast and rump. 



The females are, however, either grey, with a little 

 green on the head, breast, and rump, or else speckled in 

 an irregular manner with those colours. 



Bechstein says (and he is a great authority) : — " If the 

 Crossbills are grey or speckled, they are young; if red, 

 they are one year old, and have just moulted ; if carmine, 

 they are just about to moult for the second time ; if spotted 

 with red and yellow, they are two years old and in full 

 feather. All these differences may be noted except at the 

 time of laying ; for as they do not make their nest at any 

 fixed season, so neither is their moulting regular, from 

 which arises the great variety in their appearance." 



Therefore, the Crossbill very much resembles the Linnet 

 in its assumption of the red plumage ; and if kept in con- 

 finement, the same difference in moulting occurs. Young 

 Crossbills bred in aviaries never acquire the red colour, but 

 remain grey during the second year, or else moult to the 

 greenish-yellow of the more adult bird. 



The general form of the Crossbill is somewhat similar 

 to that of the Greenfinch, but they vary in size almost as 

 much as in colour. 



The beak is used in climbing somewhat after the manner 

 of Parrots. 



Bechstein thus describes their nesting operations, which 

 take place in Northern Europe, Asia, and America : — " Its 

 incubation is the most remarkable of its peculiarities, for it 

 breeds between December and April. It builds its nest in 



