THE CROSSBILL. 91 



In the house, if it be let run about at liberty, the second universal paste 

 will be sufficient ; but if kept in a cage it must be fed on hemp, pine, and 

 rape seed, and even elder-berries. 



BREEDING. The time of breeding is very remarkable, being generally in 

 the depth of winter, from December to April. The nest, which is placed 

 at the top of a pine or fir tree, is first formed of very fine small twigs, there 

 is then a layer of coarse moss, but the interior is lined with the finest and 

 softest moss ; it is not glued with resin, as some have said. The young 

 crossbills being in Thuringia the object of many ridiculous superstitions, the 

 wood-cutters are always careful of the nests. The number of the eggs 

 varies from three to five, they are of a greyish white, spotted, speckled, and 

 streaked at the large end with red brown. The heating nature of their 

 food enables the young and old birds to bear the severity of the season. 

 The old birds feed their young with the food disgorged from their own 

 stomach, as do all the grosbeaks. This species may be reared in the house 

 on white bread soaked in milk, and mixed with a few poppy-seeds. 



DISEASES. The accumulated vapour from a room with a stove has such 

 an effect on the constitution of these birds, that they are almost always 

 ill *. Weak eyes, swelled and ulcerated feet, are very common occurrences ; 

 hence the mountaineers of Thuringia have taken it into their heads that 

 these poor birds can take upon themselves their diseases and pains : and it 

 is this foolish idea that induces them always to keep one of these birds near 

 them. Their superstitious extravagance carries them so far, that they are 

 persuaded a bird whose upper mandible bends to the right, has the power of 

 assuming to itself the colds and rheumatism from men ; but when this 

 mandible turns to the left, the bird renders the same service to the women. 

 These simple and credulous people imagine that nothing is more efficacious 

 against epilepsy, than every day to drink the water which the bird lias left, 

 because they see that these unfortunate victims are often attacked with this 

 disease. 



MODE OF TAKING With the decoy birds nothing is easier than to take 

 the crossbills in the autumn and spring : one large rod, covered with strong 

 birdlime, is all that is necessary. It must be put in a glade in the wood 

 which these birds frequent, with the decoy bird by the side ; this, by its 

 continual cry, will soon attract them. In Thuringia the people put nooses 

 and spring traps on the top of some of the highest pines, and there hang the 

 cage of the decoy bird ; as soon as one crossbill has settled, the others fol- 

 low ; so that as many birds are taken as there are traps set, particularly if 

 the stick of the spring traps be placed so that the bird must perch on it, 



ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES. The crossbill is rather a silly bird ; in the cage 

 its motions are like those of the parrot ; when lively it swings its body like 

 the siskin, and sings a few sharp strains, which are more or less monotonous, 

 according to the different powers of the songsters for some of the males 

 far surpass the others in this short melody. It is easily tamed, can be 

 carried about anywhere on the finger, and will go and return again without 

 wandering. 



* The too great heat has doubtless also something to do with it. TRANSLATOR. 



