INSESSOHES. 91 



mentions a female bird of this species in his own 

 possession which was shot some years ago at Harrow - 

 on-the-Hill. This hird has since passed into the 

 collection of Mr. Bond. 



CROSSBILL, Loxia curvirostra. A rare and uncer- 

 tain visitant. Great flights appeared in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London in 1756-7 ; and it appears to 

 have been plentiful in various parts of England from 

 the winter of 1835 to that of 1839. In the latter 

 year several were shot at Stamnore. In 1855, a year 

 noted by Mr. Yarrell as one in which Crossbills were 

 numerous, seven of these birds were obtained near 

 Hampstead by a birdcatcher. He shot them out of 

 a small fir-plantation, where they appeared to be 

 busy extracting the seeds from the fir-cones. Mr. 

 Spencer has obtained fourteen of these birds in 

 Hampstead Woods, and a pair from this locality are 

 in my own collection. In 1860 five or six Crossbills 

 were caught near Bushey, by a birdcatcher with a 

 call-bird. 



Mr. Belfrage informs me that, when residing at 

 Muswell Hill, some years ago, a young Crossbill 

 was picked up from one of his garden-walks, and 

 had apparently fallen from a nest. It was taken 

 into the house and fed for some time, but was ulti- 

 mately allowed to escape. The person who found 

 it, observing that one mandible was twisted over 

 the other in an odd way, and not knowing the bird's 

 peculiarity, endeavoured to straighten it ! 



