COMMON CROSSBILL. 



143 



consider this as a local indigenous species, whose numbers 

 are probably increased by accessions from foreign countries 

 at various and uncertain periods. 



These birds are easily reconciled to captivity, but we 

 have been informed by dealers in birds, that they are very 

 apt to pine and die in moulting. We possessed one, the 

 individual figured in the upper part of our plate, for a short 

 time, but it soon fell a sacrifice to the above-named cause. 

 It was very fond of climbing about its cage like a parrot, 

 by means of its hooked beak, and when at rest, sat usually 

 in the position in which it is drawn. These birds will eat 

 in confinement hemp and other small seeds, also barley ; 

 they are, besides, fond of the stones contained in the 

 berries of the mountain ash, and of the hawthorn. 



Being anxious to ascertain the taste of our living speci- 

 men, we offered it many things, among others a small fir 

 cone in a green or fresh state ; this was shortly after ob- 

 served to have been pecked into shreds, and presented the 

 appearance of the curious tufted productions frequently found 

 upon briars and wild roses, caused by interruption in the 

 ordinary flow of the sap, probably this was done in fruit- 

 less search for the seeds, which, in that state of the cone, 

 had not yet come to perfection. The great force that can 

 be employed by this species in the lateral expansion of its 

 beak, may be experienced by taking a living bird into the 

 hand (as we have frequently done) and endeavour to hold 

 the beak close; the bird in striving to resent this infringe- 

 ment of its freedom, expands its beak laterally with such 

 compulsion, as to force the fingers apart. 



We also wished to ascertain whether the mandibles could 

 be crossed over to the opposite side without violence, and 

 found that the change could be very easily effected, but it 

 did not appear to be so agreeable to the bird, as he would in 

 a few minutes replace the mandibles in their usual form. 



