On the Change of Plumage in the Common Crossbill. 193 



undergo at the true moult (in autumn), they even change very 

 much between the moults ; and this is certainly the case. 



Wilson, the American ornithologist, describes the American 

 crossbill, which both he and Audubon, however, consider as 

 distinct from the European bird ; and, as we might expect, 

 from his being a field and not a chamber naturalist, comes 

 nearer to the mark in his description when he says, " That the 

 young males are during the first season mixed with ash, then 

 bright greenish yellow, intermixed with spots of dusky olive, 

 all of which yellow plumage becomes in the second year of a 

 light red, having the edges of the tail inclining to yellow." 

 He describes the male in perfect plumage as — General colour red 

 lead, brightish on the rump, intermixed with touches of olive. 



Sir W. Jardine, in a note to his edition of Wilson, remarks, 

 " Our author is incorrect in stating that the young males, as 

 is usual with other birds, much resemble the female. In fact, 

 the young of all the crossbills, as well as of the pine gros- 

 beak, contrary to the habit of the generality of birds, lose their 

 red colour as they advance in age, instead of gaining an 

 additional brilliancy of plumage. The figure which our author 

 gives as that of an adult male represents a young bird of about 

 one year old, and his supposed female is a remarkably fine 

 adult male." Now I do not agree with Sir W. Jardine. I 

 contend, and I can prove it, that the red standard livery of the 

 male crossbill (at least that which is worn the longest) be- 

 comes brighter and deeper with age ; and, moreover, that it is 

 not assumed until the second or third autumnal moult. That 

 the old male crossbill will eventually become bright yellow 

 green, if allowed to live long enough, I will allow. I never, 

 however, saw a crossbill, at any age, like the coloured figure 

 in Wilson, to which Sir William refers ; and as for his red 

 male, instead of being a bird one year old, I consider it at least 

 two, and more probably three years old. 



Now, if the reader will attentively peruse the above de- 

 scriptions, he will gather the fact, that the male crossbill is 

 subject to a very great variation in plumage — yellow, orange, 

 red, scarlet, and olive-green — but nothing more. He will not 

 be able to form the least idea at what ages these different 

 plumages are assumed ; and his inference will most probably 

 be this, that the old male crossbills have no regularly-defined 

 plumage, but that birds of the same age are as likely to be 

 yellow-orange as red, olive as scarlet. But this is far from 

 being the case. The change of plumage is constant and 

 regular as in any other birds ; and I think we can prove that 

 the males have four distinct and clearly- defined dresses follow- 

 ing each other with the &ge of the bird. 



Although we can hardly yet offer any certain data to prove 

 VOL. VIII. — no. in. o 



