314 OUR NATIVE SONGSTERS. 



the gardens in the nciglibourliood of Epping 

 Forest. 



One of the earliest building birds is the Cross- 

 bill* [Loxia curvirostrajj which, as early even as 

 January, and commonly during the two following 

 months, is busy in this work of love and duty. It 

 seems occasionally to build in England, and some- 

 times rears its young among tlie pine ])lantations 

 of Scothmd, or more frequently still in Ireland. 

 Flocks of these remarkable birds come to our 

 sliores from northern countries, at various seasons 

 and nt irregular periods. Sometimes they arc seen 

 at ]\lidsuinnier, but more commonly in autumn. 

 During the latter end of the month of June, 1835, 

 a flight of these birds Avas observed about the 

 plantations of Saffron Walden and the neigh- 

 bouring villages, and described by a naturalist 

 there. lie remarks, that in the early part of their 

 visit, most of them were in a suit of plain, green- 

 ish, sober grey, some very dusky, so as to look 

 very dark, almost black ; and he mentions one 



* The Crossbill is seven inches in length. The plnmage 

 varies nmch with sex and age : sometimes almost wholly scarlet; 

 at others yellowish olive ; sometunes a mottling of these colonrs, 

 or a combination of them into an orange, more or less bright. 

 The wings and tail are dark brown. 



