COMMON CROSS-BILL. 77 



eastern part ; and so they may possibly be from the Pyrenees 

 or the pine districts of the south of France. When they 

 arrive in numbers in these places, they pass the summer 

 among the pine plantations ; but when the seeds or pips of 

 the apple begin to ripen, they lay the orchards under very 

 severe contributions. 



There are two species which have been noticed as visitants 

 in Britain, the common cross-bill, which, although very sin- 

 gular in its appearance, can hardly be considered as a rare 

 bird, and the parrot cross-bill, which is a mere straggler. 



COMMON CROSS-BILL (Loxio, cwrvirostro). 



A figure of this bird is given on the plate at p. 386, vol. i. r 

 one-third of the lineal dimensions. The red on the young 

 males, especially on the breast and rump, is often darker 

 than that represented in the figure. The female is deep 

 greenish grey, with the rump and throat mottled with pale 

 yellow. 



The strong muscles necessary for producing the very 

 curious motions in the beak of the cross-bill, give the head 

 and neck something of the air of those of the parrots ; but 

 the cross-bill has that side of the head towards which the 

 lower mandible slides larger than the other side. There are 

 also some agreements in the habits of the birds. The cross- 

 bills have not the same sort of foot as the parrots, any more 

 than they have the same sort of bill : but they are excellent 

 perchers, and can hold on by the one foot while they employ 

 the other as a hand. Clinging to the slender twig with one 

 foot, the cross-bill grasps with the other the fruit, or cone 

 (especially the cone of the larch, which is on a much more 

 flexible support than that of the pines and spruces), and thus 

 produces a reaction of the first motion of the mandibles, for 

 which the strength of the twig and weight of the cone would 

 not be sufficient. When the hooked parts of the mandibles 



