Tue ZooLocist—May, 1875. 4433 
of this statement. In this neighbourhood the carrion crows remain 
in pairs throughout the year. The young birds sometimes remain 
with their parents the greater part of the autumn, but they separate 
early in the year, and appear to pair for life. The hooded crows 
associate in considerable numbers in winter, and small flocks of 
from fifteen to twenty are occasionally seen here frequenting the 
open common. I strongly suspect that the so-called carrion crows 
which are found in Scotland paired with the hooded crows are in 
reality black varieties of this species and not carrion crows; and 
the fact of one young black crow being found in the nest of a pair 
of hooded crows tends to confirm me in wy opinion. 
Common Crossbill.* Some of the Scotch-bred specimens” (of 
the common crossbill) “are quite as large as the so-called parrot 
crossbill from Sweden and Norway; and in size the two forms 
imperceptibly graduate into each other: the same is the case with 
their eggs. Indeed I can find no character, either in the bird, 
nest, or egg, to distinguish the one from the other.”—Hancock, 
p. 50. 
Having had the opportunity of examining individuals of the 
parrot crossbill in the flesh, which were killed here some years ago, 
I unhesitatingly say it is a good species, and very distinct from the 
common crossbill. The bird itself is considerably larger, but the 
head is very much larger in proportion to the size of the bird than 
it is in the common species, and the bill is very different, being 
much deeper and more arched, and having the ends of the 
mandibles blunt, and not drawn to a fine point as in the common 
crossbill. The claws are also shorter and stronger than they 
are in the common species. This distinction is pointed out by 
Prince C. L. Bonaparte, who thus briefly characterizes the two 
species :— 
“ Toxia pityopsittacus. Maxima: rostro validissimo; uncis 
brevibus.” 
“ LToxia curvirostra. Media: rostro minus valido; uncis pro- 
ductis.” 
In reference to the plumage of these birds, Mr. Hancock says, 
“On their first. moult both sexes attain their adult plumage, which 
in the male is red and in the female green. The male afterwards 
gradually becomes green like the female, but somewhat brighter, 
and in parts inclined to a golden hue, particularly on the rump: 
this is easily proved in cage-birds.” Supposing Mr. Hancock’s 
