FEINGILLIDJE. 209 



the mountain ash also appear to be a favourite food, 

 as do the pips of the apple, from which circumstance 

 it has obtained the name of " Shell-apple." In con- 

 finement it eats hemp and canary seed, also the 

 seeds of various sorts of weeds and almost all seeds 

 of berries : it is also very fond of biting sticks, even 

 its p erches, to pieces like a parrot. 



Several instances of this bird breeding in Eng- 

 land have been recorded. The nest is generally 

 placed in a fir-tree, but occasionally an apple-tree is 

 chosen : it is made of dry grass and twigs, and lined 

 with hair. This bird is a very early breeder, the 

 month of January having been mentioned by some. 



In plumage the Crossbill varies very greatly, 

 according to age and sex. The form of the beak is 

 very peculiar, both mandibles being much curved at 

 the point, so as completely to cross each other : the 

 colour is a dull reddish brown, darkest at the tip; 

 the irides are dark brown: in its red plumage 

 (which appears to be almost the most common) the 

 head, neck, rump, breast, flanks and most of the 

 under parts are red ; the back and scapulars are a 

 darker shade, mixed with brown ; wing-coverts and 

 quills darkish brown; the greater wing- coverts are 

 slightly tipped with dirty white ; the tail is much the 

 same colour as the wings. One of my red specimens 

 has a few greenish orange feathers on the rump and 

 flanks, also some dark brownish ones on the top of 

 the head. One of those killed in Guernsey is pro- 



T 3 



