i°5



The Crossbill feeds on insects, seeds, berries and fruits, and is said to

be inordinately fond of apples ; but my birds refused to eat either the flesh

or pips of this fruit: possibly their delight in mischief might induce them

to tear apples to pieces, without actually devoirring a particle, which would

give an observer a false impression as to their taste: but, on the other hand

it is equally likely that my birds were peculiar in their distaste for the fruit:

it is never safe to base an opinion upon the behaviour of one or two

individuals of any species.


My pair of Crossbills was presented to me, in the winter of 1S86-7, by

my friend Mr. J. Johnston, a gentleman who at that time was much

interested in aviculture, and exhibited several rare birds at the Crystal

Palace: unfortunately he found them too great a responsibility, and had to

give up keeping birds.


A week after Loxia cnrvirostra came into my possession, the male bird

had become tame enough to take sunflower-seeds from my fingers, and I

began to think that my Crossbills would be prime favourites. In their

actions they much resemble Parrots: I had placed their seed in a metal

hopper hanging on the back of their cage (which was a large flight), I hoped

thereby to avoid waste ; but in two days these intelligent birds had discovered

that the top of the hopper lifted, after which the male almost always took

his meals from the top, hanging head downwards on the wire netting to

feed.


Mo sooner did the Crossbills become accustomed to their cage, than

they set to work to do all the mischief they could. First of all the} 7 were

content to tear to pieces every perch ; as fast as I renewed them, they were

converted into imitations of the little wooden trees sold to children in boxes

of toys. Presently they wearied of this comparatively innocent amusement

and started upon the woodwork of their cage, encouraging one another in

the work of destruction by incessantly repeating the advice:—“Chip, chip,

chip ! ”


At length the chip of beak and tongue became too much for me ; the

cage was one mass of shavings almost up to the wire ; and, apart from the

fact that it was a wicked waste of money, I feared to lose the birds them¬

selves : therefore, on the 6th February, I removed the Crossbills from their

flight to a metal cage and hung it up in my little greenhouse ; but, on the

8th, the male bird had succeeded in opening the door, and having carefully

closed it behind him, he was discovered making a tour of inspection about

the roof of the greenhouse. When captured he bit savagely, but was never¬

theless restored to the cage and the door wired up. This was too much for

the poor old fellow ; he came to the conclusion that life without mischief

was not worth living, and on the next day he was found dead : the day

after his inconsolable widow followed him to the land of shadows.


One interesting point which I observed, was, that the mandibles of

male and female crossed in opposite directions, thus enabling the cock to

feed the hen.



NEW BOOKS.


Life at the Zoo : Notes and Traditions of the Regent Park Gardens,

by C. 7. Cornish , (Seeley and Co., Limited).


This is a most delightful book, admirably illustrated with repro¬

ductions of photographs by Gambier Bolton and Japanese drawings. It

contains much more about Mammals and Reptiles than about Birds, but

the chapters on “The Zoo in a Frost,” “ Diving Birds at the Zoo,” “Tame

Divers,” “The Animal Sense of Beauty,” “ Talking Birds,” “Expression in

the Animal Eye” and “Animal Colouring,” will be found specially interesting

by our readers. The various modes of swimming under water practised by

the different species of diving birds are graphically described.


We extract the following from the chapter on “ Possible Pets.” “The

bird of all others suited for the aviary, but neglected as a rule in England,

is the Bulbul. The Persian variety has the finest song, but the Indian is an



