COMMON CROSSBILL AND PARROT CROSSBILL. 31 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA. 



Common Cbossbill. 



Loxia loxia, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 329 (1760). 



Loxia ourvirostra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 299 (1766) ; et auctorum plurimorum — 



Gmelin, ScopoU, Latham, Bonaparte, Schlegel, Degland Sr Oerbe, Temrninch, Newton, 



Dresser, 8fc. 

 Orucirostra europsea, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. ^c. Brit. Mms. p. 12 (1816). 

 Crucirostra abietina, Meyer, Vog. Liv- u. Esthl. p. 72 (1815). 

 Loxia europBea {Leach), Macgill. Hist. Brit. B. i. p. 417 (1837). 

 Cruciroatra ourvirostra {Linn.), var. balearica, Homeyer, Journ. Orn. 1862, p. 266. 

 Crucirostra balearica {Homeyer), Homeyer, Journ. Orn. 1864, p. 224. 

 Loxia balearica {Homeyer), Newton, Zool. Record, 1864, p. 84. 

 Loxia albiventris, Stvinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 437. 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA, vab. PITYOPSITTACUS. 

 Pahbot Cbossbill. 



Loxia ourvirostra, var. y, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 848 (1788). 



Loxia pityopsittacus, Bechst. Orn. Taschenb. p. 106 (1802) ; et auctorum pluri- 

 morum — Temminck, Bonaparte, Sahadori, Degland 8( Gerbe, Dresser, Newton, 

 &c. 



Crucirostra pinetorum, Meyer, Vog. Liv- u. Esthl. p. 71 (1815). 



Orucirostra pityopsittacus {Bechst.), Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 241 (1831). 



The Common Crossbill is a somewhat rare and local resident in our 

 islands, but is best known as an irregular winter visitor, often appearing 

 in large flocks ; and at this season of the year it has either been obtained 

 or seen in every county. In Scotland it is a resident in some districts, 

 and, according to Mr. Gray, breeds most numerously in the central 

 counties. It is also well known as a winter visitor, often appearing in 

 immense flocks, although it is not known to have visited any of the outer 

 islands. In Orkney it is less regular in its appearance; but in the 

 Shetlands, especially of late years, it has been frequently seen in large 

 numbers, and was said by Saxby to have visited the islands every year 

 between May and December during his residence at Unst. Of its 

 breeding in England much has been recorded; and nests have so fre- 

 quently been discovered in various parts of the country, that it is needless 

 to enter into a detailed account of them. It has been known to breed in 

 Devonshire, Somerset, Hants, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Essex, Herts, Bed- 

 ford, Norfolk, Suff'olk, Gloucester, Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, 

 and Cumberland. In Ireland, according to Thompson, the bird has long 

 been known as an occasional visitor in late autumn or winter, leaving 

 again early in the spring. He also states that it has bred there. 



The Parrot Crossbill was first noticed as a British bird by Pennant in 



