tOXlA. ^5 



Loxia curvirostra. Crossbill *. 



Loxia curvirostra Linncms, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 171 : 



Sweden. 



Loxia curvirostra Lmn. ; B. 0. U. List, 1st ed. 1883, p. 57 (part.) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xii. 1888, p. 435 (part.) ; Saunders, 

 Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 201 (part.). 



Curvirostra='Kiih. a curved beak, from curvus and rostrum. 



Distribution in the British Islands. — A Winter Visitor from 

 the Continent; irregular in its appearance and varying in 

 numbers, being occasionally remarkable ^'or its abundance, 

 as in 1909, when it appeared as early as mid-June. Some 

 years, especially those following great invasions, a number 

 remain to breed in Great Britain. In Ireland it is a resident 

 and has greatly increased as a breeding species of recent 

 years. 



General Distribution. — The typical form of the Crossbill 

 breeds throughout the greater part of Europe and northern 

 Asia. In autumn and winter it • moves sporadically in 

 large numbers, spreading to the west and south. In Spain, 

 north-west Africa, the Balearic Isles, and Cyprus, more or 

 less closely allied forms occur ; as also in central Asia, the 

 Himalaya, Japan, the Philippines, and North America. 



Loxia curvirostra scotica. Scottish Ceossbill. 



Loxia curvirostra scotica Hartert, Vog. pal. Faun. i. 

 1904, p. 120 : Ross-shire, Scotland. 



Scotica — Scottish. 



Distribution. — Resident. Nests in the pine-woods of the 

 Scottish Highlands. In winter it sometimes wanders from 

 its northern native haunts and appears in the Lowlands, even 

 iu the most southern counties of Scotland. 



* Loxia pityopsittacus is not regarded as distinct, see Appendix. 



