BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS 



could. They tore to pieces perch after perch, so that incessant renewal was 

 necessary ; then they began to tear away the woodwork of the cage, which was 

 anything but pleasing to me, as it had cost me more money than I could afford 

 to throw away : moreover, they fought for supremacy, and their bad language at 

 such times was incessant chip-chip-chip. At last the chip of beak and tongue was 

 more than I could stand, and I greatly desired to be rid of the dear creatures. 



I think it likely that my Crossbills refused to take the trouble to eat apple- 

 pips, because they were well supplied with sunflower-seed, with which they were 

 perfectly satisfied. On the 6th February, 1887, I removed the Crossbills from their 

 large wooden-framed flight-cage to a much smaller metal prison (such is sometimes 

 used for Canaries) ; two days later the cock-bird discovered how to open the door ; 

 and, after carefully shutting it behind him, flew lip to the roof of the greenhouse 

 in which the cage was hung, and amused himself by walking about on the creepers 

 head downwards. It was quite three quarters of an hour before he could be again 

 secured in his cage, and he used his mandibles to some purpose upon his captor. 

 The door of the cage was now fastened with wire, to prevent another exhibition 

 of the bird's skill as a prison-breaker. On the morning of the gth the cock-bird 

 died, apparently out of pique, for we could discover no cause for his death, his 

 organs being all in perfect condition ; bxit possibly he may have been squeezed 

 when captured : the following day the hen had a fit and followed his example. 

 Thus my hope of exchanging my Crossbills for some less destructive species were 

 disappointed. 



Family FRINGILLID/E. Subfamily FRINGILUN&. 



THE PINE-GROSBEAK. 



Pyrrhnla cnucleator, I^INN. 



FROM time to time some five and twenty occurrences of this species in Great 

 Britain have been recorded ; but, as Howard Saunders says : " Professor 

 Newton (4th Ed. Yarrell's B. B.) has disposed of all but five as unworthy of belief; 



