282 FRINGILLIDiE. 



cause of their more frequent migrations, must be looked for 

 in their princial abode. A friend of excellent judgment, to 

 whom this idea was mentioned, is, however, rather inclined to 

 consider crossbills as a wandering tribe, having no proper home, 

 but who pitch their tent, and take up their residence at a place 

 just so long as it suits them, without contemplating a return to 

 any particular region. 



I have not had the gratification of seeing crossbills in a wild 

 state in Ireland; but early in September, 1837, my attention was 

 directed to them by Mr. Selby and Sir Wm. Jardine, as they were 

 on wing from one plantation to another, in the demesne at Twizell, 

 and at ChilHngham Park, Northumberland. On the 9th of Oct., 

 1847, when in a fine wood of oaks and beeches, adjoining the 

 beautiful village of Southborough, near Tunbridge "Wells, I was 

 attracted by the peculiar call-note of some bird that I had not 

 before heard, and discovered that it proceeeded from this species, 

 one of which was seen perched on the summit of a tall oak tree : 

 — its bill looked very large, from a considerable distance. 



Bewick and Yarrell, in their respective histories of British 

 Birds, treat us with entertaining and copious accounts of the ap- 

 pearance of crossbills in England in the olden time, when like a 

 more potent enemy — " they were attacked with slings and cross- 

 bows," valiantly " never thinking of flying off till some of them, 

 stricken by stones, or apples, or leaden bullets, fell dead from the 

 trees." The grand point of view in which birds were considered 

 at that period (1593), is not omitted to be mentioned, as in one 

 account it is stated, that " their flesh was sufficiently savoury and 

 delicate," and in the other, that " they were very good meate." 



The Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytiopsittacus) is included in Tem- 

 pleton's Catalogue of Irish Birds, from the supposed occurrence of 

 the species in one instance. A coloured drawing of the specimen, of 

 natural size, was fortunately made by that accomplished naturalist. It 

 represents the L. curvirostra with the point of the lower mandible not 

 reaching beyond the profile of the upper. At the foot of the drawing, 

 L. pytiopsittacus is followed by a note of doubt, which does not ap- 

 pear in the printed catalogue. The bird was shot by Eainey Maxwell, 



