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Formosa, and also in Northern China, between Takoo and Pekin, where it was kept as a cage- 

 bird. In the Himalayas this bird is replaced by a closely allied species (L. himalayana) ; but the 

 true L. curvirostra occurs, according to Hutton, in Afghanistan. 



The Crossbill is a true gipsy amongst birds, roving about and settling for a season just 

 where there is the best supply of suitable food, and disappearing again as suddenly as it arrived. 

 In their habits they are very parrot-like, especially to the non-scientific observer ; they are very 

 tame and unsuspicious, and when busy, employed in extracting the seeds from the fir-cones, can 

 be easily approached ; and often several of a flock can be shot down before the rest fly off. It 

 breeds in the very first days of spring, pairing as early as January ; and eggs are to be found early 

 in March, or even before that. We are indebted to Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown for the following 

 notes respecting the breeding of the Crossbill in Scotland : — 



" The Crossbill is found breeding in East Ross-shire, perhaps more plentifully than in any 

 other locality in Scotland, but in some seasons more abundantly than in others. Hard winters, 

 according to our correspondent, who has procured us the nests and eggs from there, do not seem 

 to affect the birds much, though in 1871 he considered that they laid somewhat earlier than 

 usual. He obtained nests and eggs, considerably incubated, on the 14th, 15th, 21st, 23rd, and 

 24th of March. The following is a desciption of a nest in our possession, received in 1870, 

 which, in the main, will answer for all other nests received from that locality. It is copied, 

 nearly verbatim, from our ' Egg-Book.' 



" Nest 100 d is a very perfect specimen. The outside, or framework, is composed of twigs 

 of Scotch fir, which seem to have been used when fresh, as they still retain a good deal of their 

 original elasticity. These twigs are loosely put together, forming the groundwork whereon the 

 nest proper is built. The latter is composed of a quantity of fine moss and lichens, bound with 

 long flat-leaved grass, which last encircles the whole of the fabric. A great quantity of a small 

 black or dark olive-green lichen is conspicuous amongst the materials, also fronds of a coarser 

 kind of moss ; and inside is a considerable quantity of fine wool. The measurements of this nest 

 are: — outside (including the loose framework) 8 inches from side to side, inside 3 inches, and 

 inside depth 1-J inch. Other nests, though invariably smaller, have a greater depth ; but this 

 may be perhaps partially accounted for by the fact that the bird of this nest had been incubating 

 for some days previous to the date on which it was taken, and its weight had pressed down the 

 edges of the nest. The average size of Crossbill's nests, as far as we can judge from specimens 

 in our possession, is quite two inches less than the one we have just described. The eggs of this 

 nest also are quite -§- inch larger each way than the average size of sixteen other eggs measured 

 by us. The , average of these sixteen is f- inch by f inch, whilst that of this particular nest is 

 1 inch by f inch. 



" The nests, our correspondent informs us, are generally placed in the cups formed by the 

 forking of the branches at or near the tops of Scotch firs, but sometimes are built out upon the 

 horizontal branches, 8 or 10 feet from the trunk. These last, I have observed, are usually more 

 perfect, and have a larger platform of twigs than those which are naturally supported by the 

 forking branches. 



"When fresh and unblown, the eggs of the Common Crossbill often exhibit a lovely 

 salmon-pink tinge ; and some, even after being emptied of their contents, retain this colour ; 



