PINE GROSBEAK CEOSSBILLS. 343 



in a fir about ten feet from the ground, often in a 

 conspicuous situation. Eggs, three or four, vary much 

 both in size and colouring, but usually about the size of 

 those of the hawfinch, perhaps a little thinner; pale blue - 

 green ground, blotched and streaked with light purple and 

 dark burnt umber spots and dots, always most apparent 

 towards the large end. Average size, 1 in. X f . 



The old birds are very silent during the breeding season, 

 and never betray the locality of the nest. Both sexes have 

 a beautiful, clear, loud flute-like song in the winter and 

 spring, and a female which I had in confinement for above 

 a year (and which was one of the tamest and nicest pets 

 I ever had), would often wake me in the morning, by 

 suddenly at daybreak breaking out into such a wild, loud, 

 clear carol (which was, however, always short), the like of 

 which I never heard from any other bird. 



Their food in the forest is principally berries in the 

 winter, in the spring and summer the young buds or 

 embryo of the young fir branches. I very rarely saw them 

 feed on a fir cone ; they can, however, shell out the seeds 

 as quickly as the crossbills if they like. 



We never see the pine grosbeak in the midland dis- 

 tricts, except in the winter, and their migrations to us 

 are very irregular. They always leave very early. 



Gen. Loxia, Briss. 



Beak strong. Mandibles crossed at the tips. Tail 

 cloven. 



147. LOXIA PYTIOPPSITTACUS, Bechst. Storre Korsnabb. The 



Parrot Crossbill. D. F. 



Beak quite as high as the length of the under man- 

 dible. The tip of the lower mandible scarcely reaches 

 the top edge of the upper mandible. Length, 7-^ in. ; 

 tail 2 in. 3 1. ; tarsi 6 1. Ground colour of the old 

 male, red. Female greenish grey. 



The changes of plumage as described under the common 

 crossbill, will doubtless apply to the parrot crossbill. In 



