ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK. 115 



In this way they prise off the scales, but unless there be a seed 

 they know too well to do it in useless search. It may be pre- 

 sumed that they would generally push the scales of a cone to the 

 right or the left, according to the way their mandibles cross one 

 another. In fifteen recently examined the upper mandible turned 

 to the right, and in eight to the left. In one I had alive the 

 mandibles grew to the unnatural length of an inch. My Cross- 

 bills never manifested any interest in old brown fir-cones, but 

 they liked the new ones in September, and were very fond of the 

 big cones of Picea nobilis. We read of great destruction caused 

 by them to apple crops, but they do not seem able to work their 

 way into an apple which is not on a bough, though they relish it 

 if cut into small pieces, evidently liking the fruit part quite as 

 much as the pips. Their power of sudden concealment in the 

 tops of the fir trees, remarkable at first sight, is entirely due to 

 their instinct in remaining quite still. A Crossbill can fly with a 

 fir-cone in its mouth, which is one proof of the strength of those 

 powerful mandibles, if, indeed, proof were wanted. My Crossbills 

 favoured me with no music until Christmas Day, when for the 

 first time one of them was heard to utter a loud chirp. When 

 bought on July 6th they were in red male plumage ; by Christmas 

 Day one of them had become quite yellow, but the other two cocks 

 had changed but little, though the brightness of their red had 

 diminished since October. Bechstein says many are bred in 

 aviaries in Thuringia, but never acquire the red colour in con- 

 finement. 



Erratum in Notes for 1898. — I learn from Mr. Howard Bunn 

 that the correct date when the Little Bustard was shot at Kessing- 

 land, as recorded in last year's " Notes," was not May 30th, but 

 May 3rd, 1898, an error on my part. 



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