THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 49 



Family FRINGH.LIDsE. Subfamily FRINGILLINsE. 



THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 



Loxia curvirostra, LINN. 



A CCORDING to Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, this species inhabits " the greater 

 \_ part of Europe and Northern Asia, to Japan and North China, Himalayas, 

 North America as far as Mexico." 



In Great Britain, the Crossbill is principally confined during the summer 

 months to the pine forests of Scotland ; though it has bred in several of the 

 eastern counties of Ireland, and in Tipperary, as well as in some of the counties 

 of England : here, however, it is most frequently met with during the winter, 

 sometimes in flocks, though often only in small parties. 



In colouring this species nearly resembles the Two-barred Crossbill, excepting 

 in the absence of the white tips to the greater and median wing-coverts : perhaps 

 the male is a little less brilliant in colour, and the female a little more orange ; 

 but as these birds vary in these respects with age, it is not safe to speak positively : 

 one thing is certain that, in captivity the red colouring is entirely lost after the 

 first moult ; but whether permanently it is not safe to say without experimenting, 

 inasmuch as many birds, notably the American Nonpareil (Cyanospiza cirisj lose 

 their red colouring in the same manner ; yet the Nonpareil, at any rate if exposed 

 in an airy and sunny aviary for a year or two, and supplied with plenty of insect- 

 food, reproduces the red colouring. The mandibles of the young bird are straight, 

 the lower mandible being covered by the cutting edges of the upper ; but in the 

 adult birds it curves upwards towards the tip, that of the male (in the ordinary 

 variety) barely reaching to a level with the culmen of the upper mandible, on the 

 inside if viewed from above ; that of the female, which has much the longer, less 

 arched, and more slender beak, projecting well above the culmen on the outside. 

 This diiferent crossing of the mandibles in the sexes probably enables the male to 

 feed the female ; otherwise it is difficult to understand its object.* 



The Crossbill is an irregular migrant ; consequently if food is scarce in the 

 north, it wanders southward to search for sustenance there : in winter the species 



* Since writing the above, I find that this character is not constant; it would therefore be of interest to note 

 whether pairs are ever shot from one nest having their beaks similarly crossed. A.G.B. 



VOL. II. I 



