NUTCRACKER. 135 



given is taken from a bird with a shorter and stout bill. 

 The living bird at the Zoological Garden had a slender bill. 

 Mr. Fisher, at page 824 of the 25th number of the 

 Zoologist, has given a faithful outline of the form of the 

 beak in Mr. Gurney's Yarmouth bird, which is also slender, 

 and measures one inch and seven-eighths in length, from 

 the commencement of the feathers on the forehead to the 

 point ; the bill in the bird figured in this work measures 

 full one-quarter of an inch shorter, and there are differences 

 also in the plumage. The opportunity of examining a 

 considerable number of specimens, of which the age and 

 sex are known, is necessary in order to arrive at a good 

 opinion on the question ; in the absence of such opportunity 

 I am induced to consider the differences of the lengthened 

 bill and brighter plumage as marks of greater age. 



The eggs are said to be five or six in number, of a 

 yellowish grey colour, with a few spots of yellowish or 

 wood-brown. An egg in the collection of Mr. Wilmot, 

 of the Temple, believed to be that of a Nutcracker, 

 and which that gentleman very kindly lent me to have a 

 drawing made from it for my use in this work, measured 

 one inch one line in length, by ten lines in breadth, was also 

 of a greyish white colour, spotted over the larger end with 

 bluish grey and light ash brown. Mr. Gould brought two 

 eggs from Switzerland, somewhat resembling the eggs of 

 the Jay. 



Besides the countries already named as inhabited by the 

 Nutcracker, Pennant says he received a specimen from 

 Denmark by means of M. Brunnich, author of the Ornitho- 

 logia Borealis, and the bird is also included in the Zoologia 

 Danica of Miiller. It is said to be common in the pine 

 forests of Russia, Siberia, and Kamtschatka. 



The beak is black ; the lore, or space between the beak 

 and the eye, dull white ; irides brown ; top of the head 



