COMMON CROSSBILL. 11 



but three inches in diameter. The outside is strengthened 

 with a few slender twigs of fir, then a layer of coarse dry 

 grass, lined with finer grass and a few long hairs. It 

 is lodged close to the central or main stem of a Scotch fir, 

 about thirty inches below its highest point, at the base of 

 the shoots of the year 1 837 ; here the nest is supported 

 underneath by five or six ascending lateral branches of the 

 fir, which so entirely conceal it, that it can scarcely have 

 been perceptible from the ground, and the occasional visits 

 of the parent birds probably betrayed their retreat. 



" The eggs measure seven-eighths of an inch in length 

 and five-eighths of an inch in breadth, the colour white, 

 slightly tinged with pale skim-milk blue, and sparingly 

 speckled with red. 



" The young bird appears to be about three weeks old, 

 and measures four inches and a half in length, the wing 

 from the carpal joint to the end only two inches and a half 

 long, the base of each primary feather being covered with 

 its membranous sheath, or only as yet what is commonly 

 termed pen-feathered. Both mandibles of the beak straight, 

 the under mandible shutting within the upper ; the plumage 

 of the head, back, rump, and all the under surface of the 

 body greyish white, tinged with yellow, and streaked 

 longitudinally with dusky brown ; the feathers of the wings 

 and tail dark brown, edged and tipped with pale wood 

 brown, legs and toes flesh colour." 



It has been considered and stated, that the Common 

 Crossbill of North America was too small in size to be of 

 the same species as that of Europe ; but the measurement 

 given by Mr. Audubon of the American bird, viz. whole 

 length seven inches, extent of wings eleven inches, is equal 

 to that of our own bird, and some of our English examples 

 are even the smaller of the two. The general description 

 of the plumage and its changes, as given in the second 



