BIRDS 145 



devoid of fear as to permit of a close acquaintance. Few species 

 are more sociable than this Crossbill. Although single stragglers 

 are not quite unknown among us, in the great majority of 

 instances this bird appears in large or small droves. It has 

 generally been supposed that the well-known red plumage was 

 peculiar to the male sex, an error due to neglect in dissecting 

 specimens. On examining an apparent male in red feather, shot 

 in October 1888, Mr. Tandy found that it contained a very dis- 

 tinct ovary. The stout-billed Crossbill, generally separated from 

 the common bird, as the ' Parrot Crossbill,' does not appear to 

 have been noticed in Westmorland or North Lancashire. The 

 late Mr. Proud shot two birds identical with this form on the 

 river Irthing many years ago. James Barnes of Carlisle has two 

 adults and a young bird of this form, which he shot at Newby 

 Cross in December 1865. Their distinction from the common 

 bird was noticed by Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson, who saw them at 

 the time they were obtained. 



TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL. 



Loxia bifasciata (Brehm). 

 The first notification of the appearance of this Crossbill in 

 Lakeland was transmitted to the late T. C. Heysham in the 

 following letter : — 



' Dear Sir, — I take the liberty of addressing these few lines 

 to you to inform you that I have had the good fortune to fall 

 in with the whitewinged crossbill on the First Inst. I had for 

 some time observed about eight or ten Redpoles pass in the direc- 

 tion of Cambeckhill Woods. Thinking the Mealy Redpole might 

 be among them, I followed and was fortunate enough to procure 

 a fine female Whitewinged Crossbill. I did not observe any 

 more. I think the others were all the lesser Redpole. — I have 

 the honour to be, sir, in haste, your obt. servant, 



'Thomas Taylor. 



' Headswood, Nov. 8th, 45." 



This bird appears to have been sent to the late Mr. Hancock. 

 At all events Mr. Taylor pencilled on the margin of his copy of 

 Sir W. Jardine's Birds of Great Britain the note : ' Nov. 1st, 1845. 



K 



