THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 261 



Pelerin, at Oundle, was sufficiently advanced in its spring 

 plumage to have acquired a considerable portion of red on 

 the breast ; the occurrence of this species is, however, most 

 frequent in winter ; many specimens have been obtained 

 in England, and some in Scotland. Its habits throughout 

 the year are probably very similar to those of the little 

 Common Redpole, with which it has frequently been con- 

 founded. Its food is the seeds of various fruit-trees. 



THE COMMON CROSSBILL (Loxia euro-pad). Nearly allied 

 to the Bullfinches on the one hand, and the Buntings on 

 the other, the Crossbills occupy the extreme verge of the 

 Passerine family. The most remarkable feature of their 

 outward conformation is the compression and curvature of 

 the extremities of the mandibles, giving to the bill a 

 singular appearance, and to the genus its appropriate name. 



Two species of this genus occur in Great Britain, both 

 as occasional visitants only ; of these the above-named is 

 the most common ; it is a stout-made, large-headed bird, 

 about seven inches and a quarter long, with plumage of 

 a dull red above, brighter beneath the wings, and tail 

 dark olive brown, and the rump yellowish red. 



The Crossbills are very irregular visitants, a long interval 

 often occurring between one appearance and another ; when 

 they do come, it is generally in considerable numbers, and 

 at no particular time of the year ; they generally confine 

 themselves to fir plantations, where they find their favourite 

 food, which consists chiefly of the seeds of the Scotch fir, 

 larch, and other trees of that kind. In the northern parts 

 of Europe these birds are plentiful all the year round, and 

 are said to be very destructive in gardens and orchards, 

 splitting an apple with one or two blows of the powerful 

 bill, in order to get at the kernels. 



A few years since the ' Maidstone Journal ' furnished its 

 readers with the following particulars respecting this re- 

 markable species : 



An extensive flight of that somewhat rare and very curious bird, 

 the common Crossbill, has just made its appearance in the fir planta- 

 tions of Penenden Heath, Maidstone. They were first seen on July 24, 

 and appear to be family parties, composed of parent birds and young 



