123 



CHAPTER IV. 

 PEKCHING BIRDS continued. 



SEVERAL instances of the appearance of the Cross- 

 bill (Loxia curvirostra) have come under my notice. 

 Many years since a large flock visited a number of Scotch 

 firs and larches which grew around the house of a friend 

 of mine in the village, although I cannot specify the 

 exact year. Of course their rarity made them an object 

 of attraction, and one of them was captured alive by my 

 friend in a rather singular manner. The surface of a 

 small pool of water in his stable yard happened to be 

 covered with chaff and dust, which had blown upon it 

 from a quantity deposited near; on this treacherous 

 surface one of the flock, a male, descended, but the poor 

 bird was speedily undeceived by sinking into the water, 

 and so wetted his plumage that he was unable to rise, 

 and became an easy capture. My friend put it in a 

 cage, where it spent no time in unnecessary regrets, but 

 cheerfully resigned itself to its confinement, being plenti- 

 fully supplied with fir-cones, on the seeds of which it 

 eagerly fed ; here it remained for several months, when 

 it was accidentally liberated by the servant. 



On the 18th of February, 1 b56, a small flock of fifteen 

 visited some elm and larch trees at Edwinstowe, where 

 they were extracting the seeds from the few remaining 



