262 A QUAINT PICTURE. 



ones of this year. These birds visit us at very irregular periods, and 

 sometimes with intervals of many years. The Rev. L. B. Larking, 

 of Eyarsh Vicarage, has an old manuscript which refers to this sub- 

 ject. It states : ' That the yeere 1593 was a greate and exceeding 

 yeere for apples, and there were greate plenty of strong birds, that 

 showed themselves at the time the apples were full rype, who fedde 

 uppon the kernells onely of those apples, and having a bill with one 

 beake wrything over the other, which would presently bore a greate 

 hole in the apple, and make way to the kernells. They were of the 

 bignesse of a Bullfinch, in coulour, the cocke, a very glorious bird, in 

 a manner all redde or yellow on the brest, beake, and head. The 

 oldest man liuing never heard or reade of any such like bird, and the 

 thing most to be noted was, that it seemed they came out of some 

 country not inhabited, for that they at the first would abide shooting 

 at them, either with pellet, bow, or other engine, and not remove till 

 they were stricken down ; moreover, they would abide the throwing 

 at them, inasmuch as divers were stricken down and killed with often 

 throwing at them with apples. They came when the apples were 

 rype, and went away when the apples were cleane fallen. They were 

 good meate.' There are on record many visits of Crossbills to this 

 country, and since 1835, these visits have been more frequent than 

 before, and they remain longer now than formerly, in consequence of 

 the greater abundance of fir plantations, to which they particularly 

 resort to avail themselves of the seeds of the numerous cones, which 

 are their principal food during winter. Their autumnal visits are 

 made to those orchard countries where apples abound, the kernels or 

 pips of which they manage, with their singularly formed beak, to cut 

 down to and extract with ease ; and hence one of the old names by 

 which this bird was known, that of Shell-apple. There is one speci- 

 men of this curious bird in the Museum of the Kent Natural 

 History Society, in this town. 



The author of the manuscript thus referred to was pro- 

 bably Aldovrandus, the ancient English author who gave 

 an account of the habits of the Crossbills, of which Mac- 

 gillivray gives us this picture : 



The Crossbill is a simple bird, but in the cage it uses its beak and 

 feet just like the Parrot, to help itself along. When thoroughly well 

 it moves its body to and fro like the Siskin, and then utters harsh 

 shrill notes with but little melody. One bird will try to surpass the 

 other: and those are most esteemed by the fancier which repeat fre- 

 quently a sound like reits or croits, and which is called the crowing 

 of the Crossbill. It will become so tame as to admit of being carried 

 upon the finger into the open air, and may also be accustomed to 

 fly in and out. 



In the Autumn of 1821, when walking from Aberdeen to Elgin, 

 [says Macgillivray], I had the pleasure of observing a flock of several 





