FRINGILLID^. 71 



and also that he knew the specimen in Mr, Byne's collection to be British, 

 " as he skinned it himself. It was shot in company with some Crossbills 

 about nine or ten years since by a gentleman in the army of the name of 

 Hooper."' After Mr. Byne left Exeter ho resided at Milligan Hall, near 

 Taunton, whei'e a specimen of the Pine-Grosbeak is said to have been 

 killed about 1851-52 (C. P., Zool, 1852, p. 3474). This specimen 

 Mr. Henry Xicholis believes was purchased, with other American birds, 

 from a collection which belonged to a Mr. Hellard, which was sold in 

 Taunton. It is " iS^o. 18"' of Mr. Gurney's list in his interesting article 

 "on the Claim of the Pine-Grosbeak to be regarded as a British Bird," 

 published in the 'Zoologist' for 1877, pp. 247, 248, and the editor of 

 that Journal, in a footnote, suggests that perhaps it is " the same as 

 Mr. Byne's specimen;" but it is certain it is not so. The ghost is, how- 

 ever, not yet laid, for Mr. E. A. S. Elliot tells us there is a specimen of the 

 Pine-Grosbeak in the possession of a Mrs. Weeks, who "was at one time 

 housekeeper to Mr. C. Prideaux, which is said to have been shot in 

 Brownstou Wood, near Kingsbridge, but is more probably " No. 18 "" ! 

 The bird said to have been killed at Powderham we believe to have been 

 a Hawfinch. It is " jN'o. 26" of Mr. Guruey (second article on Pine- 

 Grosbeak, Zool. 1890, pp. 128, 129), who has apparently confused it with 

 Mr. Byne's specimen (" IS'o. 22" of his first article). See our note in the 

 ' Zoologist ' for 1890, pp. 183, 184.J 



Comnion Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra, Linn. 



[Shell-apple.] 



A casual visitor of very irregular occurrence at all times of the year. 

 Has bred in the county. 



The Crossbills take their name from their singularly formed beaks, in 

 which the extremities of the u]>por and lower mandibles overlap each other, 

 supplying the birds Avith perfect cutting-instruments for dissecting apples, 

 lir-cones, &c., and for the purpose of extracting the pips and seeds withir, 

 which form their food. They aie also remarkable for their singular 

 changes in ])lumage, which varies from an olive-green to a brilliant red or 

 a bri;,4it yellow. They are among the earliest birds to nest, beginning to 

 build in Eebruary and having eggs by March. While feeding they keep 

 u]) a continuous soft twittering, and have very much the gestures of Tits, 

 lianging to the cones on the firs head downwards, and also when holding 

 a cone in their feet they resemble small Parrots. The Common Crossbill 

 lias been known to nest on a fow occasions only in the South-westcra 

 Counties. 



Flocks were seen in the South of Devon in June 1837, in the winter of 

 1838-39, and the following spring;, June 1848, November 1801, ^farch 

 1807, July to October 18<)S, January to ^March 18(59, and a young bird 

 in striped jdumage was shot near Hudleigh Saltorton in September ISS!), 

 and was seen by us soon after it had been mounted by Mr. Seaward, of 



