PARROT CROSSBILL. 139 



having been, found in February and March;, and the nests 

 having been observed to have been begun by the middle of 

 December. 



The nest is placed chiefly in lofty forest trees, and is 

 composed of small twigs, lined with dry grass or leaves of 

 the fir tree. 



The eggs are said to be four or five in number, ash-coloured, 

 or bluish white, and spotted with bluish red and dusky at 

 the larger end. 



The young are hatched after a fortnight's incubation. 



Male; length, seven inches and a quarter to seven and a 

 half or rather more ; bill, large, dusky grey, yellowish at the 

 base of the lower mandible; iris, bright hazel; head, crown, 

 neck on the back, and nape, red ; chin, throat, and breast, 

 red; back, darker red, lighter on the lower part : all the red 

 feathers are more or less streaked with dusky in younger 

 birds. The wings extend to the width of one foot; primaries, 

 secondaries, and tertiaries, dusky black, darker with age; the 

 first quill feather is the longest, the second nearly as long, 

 the third a little shorter still, and the fourth a quarter of 

 an inch shorter than the third. The tail forked, dusky black, 

 darker with age; it extends one inch beyond the end of 

 the wings; upper tail coverts, light red; legs, short and 

 strong, and reddish brown, as are the toes ; claws, dark 

 brown. The moult takes place in September, October, and 

 November. 



Female; head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, greenish 

 ash-colour, with patches of brown; chin and throat, grey, 

 clouded with yellowish brown; breast, ash-colour, varied with 

 yellowish green ; back, dull greenish yellow, lighter and more 

 yellow on its lower part; under tail coverts, greyish white, 

 the base of each feather greyish brown. 



The young bird of the year has the bill blackish horn- 

 colour ; head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, greyish 

 white, much streaked with greyish brown; back, greyish 

 white, much streaked with greyish brown, on the lower part 

 slightly tinged with yellow; greater and lesser wing coverts, 

 dark brown tipped with pale brown; primaries, secondaries, 

 and tertiaries, blackish brown, also tipped with pale brown ;: 

 legs and toes, lead-colour; claws, black. 



