160 



CLASS AVES. 



Pyrrhula mysia. Vieil. Ois. Chant, pi. 46. Spix. 

 59 and 60. 



Above, lustrous black ; cheeks, partly, and, under- 

 neath, all white, except rump and thighs, wliich are 

 bluish-gray ; bill, black. Guiana.* 



The Crosbills. (Loxia. Briss.) 



Have the bill compressed, and the two mandibles 

 curved in such a manner, that their points cross each 

 other, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, 

 according to the individuals. This extraordinary bill 

 enables them to pluck the seeds from under the scales 

 of the pine-apple. 



JLoxia, from the Greek word ^°?°s (curved), is a 

 name invented for this bird by Conrad Gesner, and 

 extended by Linnagus to all the Grosbeaks. 



The European species is frequent wherever there 

 are large woods of green trees j it is 



The Croshill. (Loxia Curvirostra.) Lin. Enl. 218. 



The plumage of the young male is bright red, with 

 brown wings ; that of the adult, and female, greenish 

 above, yellowish underneath. Two races, diiferent 



* Others have named, 



Pyrrhula frontalis Bonap. Amer. Orn. I. t. 6. 1. 2. Frin^Ua. Say. 



Loxia noctis. 



Loxia Torrida. 



Loxia Angolemis. 



Pyrrhula longicauda. Vieil. 



Pyirhula cr'upa. Vieil. 



Social Pyrrhula. Pyrrhula synoica. Ternni. PI. Col. 575. l. 2, 



