42 How to Sex Cage Birds. 



The Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). 



The rose-madder of the adult male is replaced in the female by 

 greenish-grey washed with yellow ; the rump is yellow, the under 

 parts dull yellow streaked with brown ; the throat and abdomen 

 paler. Males moulted in captivity unfortunately assume very nearly 

 the hen-colouring, so that a structural distinction is a necessity. 

 The beaks fortunately differ ; that of the female being longer and 

 more slender than that of the male ; in paired specimens the mandibles 

 cross in opposite directions, but as the lower mandible is sometimes 

 on the one side of the upper, and sometimes on the other in both 

 sexes, it seems tolerably certain that the cock birds must select 

 wives which differ from themselves in this peculiarity ; otherwise it 

 is inconceivable that the cock could feed his mate. 



The Two-barred Crossbill (Loxia bi/asciata). 



The sexual differences in this species are similar to those in the 

 common species. 



This brings us to the end of the more typical Finches, though it 

 is doubtful whether the so-called Grosbeaks ought to be kept dist'net 

 from them. The apparent affinity of the Greenfinch to the Goldfinch, 

 and the ease with which it can be crossed with this and other 

 typical Finches, make one sceptical as to the value of the subfamily 

 Coccothraustince. 



Chapter VI IT. 



THE GROSBEAKS (Coccothraustina). 



The foreign Grosbeaks are numerous, but the British only two in 

 number, so that it is not worth while to keep them separate. The 

 females are generally smaller than the males, and have less powerful 

 beaks. 



Common Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris). 



In the female the plumage is altogether duller and browner than 

 that of the male, with all the white markings much less pure. The 

 Japanese race (C. japonica) shows similar differences in the sexes. 



Black-tailed Hawfinch (Eophona melanura). 



In the female the head is drab-brown instead of black ; the wing- 

 coverts are ashy brown ; the greater series black at the extremities ; 

 the general colouring is more drab ; the tawny tints of the under 

 parts mostly wanting. 



