CROSSBILL. 201 



tarded. Absolute proof that this yellowish-green suit (which 

 is that almost invariably assumed by caged birds) is ulti- 

 mately replaced by one of red is wanting ; but, though the 

 wearers of this livery may not unfrequently be found breed- 

 ing in it, there is good reason to believe that the change 

 takes place.* As it is there is great variation in the bril- 

 liancy of the colour, whether yellowish-green, yellow, orange 

 or red.f 



A red male, that had completed his first autumnal moult, 

 had the bill dull reddish-brown, darkest towards the tip of 

 the upper mandible : irides dark brown : the head, rump, 

 throat, breast arid belly, tile-red ; the feathers on the back 

 mixed with brown, producing a chestnut-brown ; wing- and 

 tail-feathers, nearly uniform dark brown ; vent, and lower 

 tail-coverts, greyish- white : legs, toes and claws, dark brown. 

 The middle figure of the woodcut, represents such a bird. 



A second male killed at the same time as that last de- 

 scribed, had the head, rump and lower surface of the body, 

 pale yellow, tinged with green ; the back olive-brown ; wings 

 and tail like those of the red bird. 



A third male, also killed at the same time, had the top 

 of the head and the back reddish-brown mixed with dark 

 orange ; rump reddish-orange ; upper tail-coverts bright 

 orange ; chin, throat and upper part of the breast, red, 

 passing lower down and on the sides, to orange. 



Red males moulting in confinement change to greenish- 

 yellow, or sometimes to bright yellow, and hence has arisen 

 the misconception of many ornithologists that the yellow 

 colour was that of the normal older livery ; but in captivity 

 several instances are known of red and yellow examples 



* The Editor regrets being here again compelled to differ from the opinion of 

 his fiiend Mr. Hancock (B. Northumb. &c. p. 50) on the subject of the change 

 of plumage in birds of this genus as well as of the genus Linota (page 158). 

 Unfortunately there has been a laxity on the part of observers in recording 

 whether the objects of their observations have been caged birds or at liberty. 



t Examples are mentioned in which the wing-coverts have bright red edges. 

 Such birds are regarded by some as forming a distinct species the Crucirostra 

 Ufasciata of C. L. Brehm and one of them is figured by Bonaparte and Schlegel 

 (Monogr. Lox. pi. 5). The Editor does not know of any example of this variety 

 having been observed in Britain. 



