ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 301 



July, and I obtained a nest with, fresh eggs as late 

 as August 2. 



The common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra,IAii.; 

 "korsnabb," Sw.; "batsaklodde," Lap.). We saw 

 very few crossbills in these forests, and I don't 

 think they breed here, for they used to appear 

 only at uncertain periods. I never saw the parrot 

 crossbill here. All that we killed were the com- 

 mon bird. I don't think that the parrot crossbill 

 has so high a northern range as the other. 



I have been lately much interested in the 

 study of the change of plumage of birds, and the 

 three which I have turned my attention to have 

 been the crossbills, the pine grosbeak, and the 

 ptarmigan. This has proved a most interesting 

 study. The reader will find my remarks regard- 

 ing the grosbeaks and ptarmigan in the proper 

 place ; and I will now proceed to notice the differ- 

 ent changes of plumage in the crossbills, of which 

 little appears to be known even at this advanced 

 stage of the science of natural history. I may 

 add that my observations respecting all these 

 three birds are the result of the actual examina- 

 tions of scores of specimens, both in the fixed and 

 intermediate plumage ; and I do not believe that 

 any naturalist living has paid more attention to 

 this subject, than myself or had better opportuni- 

 ties of examining the birds in a state of nature. 



