THE 1'IK GROSBEAK. 1 77 



thwarted crosswise at the end, and with these they would eat an 

 apple or two at one snap, eating onely the kernels : and they 

 made a great spoil among the apples." 



Most observers have noticed the readiness with which this bird 

 suffers itself to be stricken down, or caught. YARRELL states 

 that, in 1791, a bird-catcher at Bath caught one hundred pairs, 

 which he generally sold for five shillings each. Many subse- 

 quent years have also been remarkable for the visits of these 

 apple-destroyers in considerable numbers. It has been ques- 

 tioned whether they breed in this country ; KNAPP believes that 

 they do, and the Editor of the last edition of PENNANT'S Zoology 

 mentions one certain instance, which occurred in a pine tree 

 within two miles of Dartford, Kent. Many interesting particu- 

 lars of this bird, by Sir W. JAEDINE and others, will be found in 

 WHITE'S Selborne, Bohn's edition. 



66. THE FIR GROSBEAK, OR PARROT CROSSBILL. 



Loxia Pytiopsittacm, BECH. Loxia Curvirostra major, LIN. tier Ki- 

 fern Kreuzschnabel, BECH. 



Description. This bird is by many considered to be identical 

 with the last, an error into which I myself fell, until I kept 

 them in the same room, and had an opportunity of accurately 

 comparing them. It is about the size of a common Grosbeak, 

 being about eight inches and a quarter in length, of which the 

 tail measures two inches and three-quarters. From tip to tip 

 of the expanded wings measures thirteen inches and- a half; 

 the beak is one inch long, blackish, very thick, and bent cross- 

 wise at' the point, yet not so far as to permit of the lower man- 

 dible reaching over the upper. The beak generally is thicker, 

 and its point shorter and more obtuse, than in the preceding 

 species. The feet are three-quarters of an inch in height, and 

 the middle claw one inch and a quarter long ; the head and 

 body of this bird are also thicker than those of the preceding. 

 The general hue of most males which I have seen, is ver- 

 milion mixed with brown, and varying in shade on different 

 parts of the body. The neck, breast, and rump, are a purer 

 red ; the pen and tail feathers dark grey, with black shafts. 

 This bird also, like some others, appears to vary in colour ac- 

 cording to its age. I once possessed an olive green one, which 

 sang excellently, and was therefore, in all probability, an old 

 male. 



