48 NATURAL HISTORY 



Three gros-beaks (Loxia Coccothraustes 3 ^ appeared 

 some years ago in my fields, in the winter; one of 

 which I shot: since that, now and then, one is occa- 

 sionally seen in the same dead season. 



A cross-bill (Loxia curvirostra) was killed last year 

 in this neighbourhood 4 . 



that rare and occasional visitant, the hoopoe. The one mentioned in the 

 text is the earliest promise of an attempt at breeding here that I am 

 aware of. It is referred to by both Pennant and Montagu. E. T. B. 



3 [Coccothraustes vulgaris, FLEM.] 



4 The most curious account of the cross-bill was published by Dr. 

 Townson, who kept them tame. See his Tracts on Natural History, 



p. 116. MlTFORI). 



My friend Mr. Yarrell has published, in the fourth volume of the 

 Zoological Journal, an excellent and detailed anatomy of the muscles 

 by which the singular beak and tongue of the cross-bill are made to 

 serve the peculiar purposes for which they are designed. The most 

 powerful muscles are those which are devoted to the laterally separating 

 from each other of the points of the crossed jaws ; an apparent deformity 

 in the structure of the bird, but in reality a modification of the usual 

 adjustment of the organs essential to the special wants of the cross-bill. 

 " The great pine forests," says Mr. Townson, " such as the Hartz in 

 Germany, are the natural places of residence of the cross-beaks, and the 

 seed of the cones of those trees their food ; and it is to pull out the seeds 

 from between the squamae, or scales, of the cones, that this structure is 

 given them. Their mode of operation is thus : they first fix themselves 

 across the cone, then bring the points of the maxillae from their crossed 

 or lateral position to be immediately over each other. In this reduced 

 compass, they insinuate their beaks between the scales ; and then open- 

 ing them, not in the usual manner, but by drawing the inferior maxilla 

 sideways, force open the scales or squamae." 



" At this stage of the proceeding," continues Mr. Yarrell, ' the aid of 

 the tongue becomes necessary, and this organ is no less admirably 

 adapted for the service required. The bone of the tongue has articulated 

 to its anterior extremity an additional portion, formed partly of bone 

 with a horny covering ; narrow in shape, about three-eighths of an inch 

 in length, extending downwards and forwards, with its sides curved 

 upwards, and its distant extremity shaped like a scoop, somewhat pointed, 

 and thin on the edges." Mr. Yarrell describes with greater detail this 

 superadded and distinct portion of the tongue, and the muscles by which 

 it is moved, and their action ; and then proceeds : " While, therefore, the 

 points of the beak press the shell from the body of the cone, the tongue^ 

 brought forward by its own muscle (the genio-hyoideus), is enabled by 

 the additional muscles described, to direct and insert its cutting scoop 

 underneath the seed, and the food thus dislodged is conveyed to the 

 mouth : and it will be seen by a reference to the first figure, that when 

 the mandibles are separated laterally in this operation, the bird has an 



