COMMON CROSSBILL. 153 



south to United States, in severe winters." The following remarks 

 by that author may not be out of place:" In comparing an 

 American specimen of the Pine Grosbeak (P. enucleator) in the 

 collection of the Philadelphia Academy, I find the former consider- 

 ably larger (wing 4'76 instead of 4*40), the bill much stouter and 

 more bulging at the sides, the tip of the upper mandible much less 

 decurved and less projecting over the lower. The tail feathers are 

 much broader. The legs are black, the bill dark brown instead of 

 both being horn colour. There is little difference in the character 

 of the red; there is, however, much more white on the wing in 

 very broad and sharply defined pure white external edgings of the 

 quills, especially on the tertials, secondaries, and greater coverts, 

 instead of having these narrower, less conspicuous, and tinged with 

 rose. Without being sure that these differences of the two skins 

 are either constant or characteristic, I think it proper to quote 

 such references only as belong to American specimens." 



The flocks seen by Mr Don in 1813 must, I think, have been 

 migratory, and there is nothing inconsistent with what is known 

 of the flights of other species in the surmise that they may have 

 come to this country via Greenland and the Faroes; hence the 

 need of careful examination of specimens that may in future be 

 obtained. 



THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA. 



OCCURS in some localities in the west of Scotland in great abund- 

 ance, especially in winter, when they are more easily observed. 

 Large flocks frequently appear in autumn, and are now so well 

 known that they excite but little notice. 



The Common Crossbill breeds perhaps more numerously in the 

 central counties than elsewhere. In many parts of Lanarkshire it 

 is found in considerable numbers during the breeding season, 

 especially in the neighbourhood of Douglas. It is also very plentiful 

 in Dalswinton woods, near Dumfries, where many nests have been 

 obtained every year. On the west coast the nest has been several 

 times found in Drummuck woods, near Girvan, where the birds 

 have of late years located themselves. Two nests were obtained 

 there in 1864, as late as May, probably a second brood, and in 



