silence during the breeding-season, and may therefore 

 easily escape observation amongst the dark-green foliage 

 of the pines and firs in which it specially delights and 

 finds its favourite food — the seeds of various cones or 

 fir-apples. 



A nest of this species, taken in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of Bournemouth from a tall Scotch fir, and 

 containing four nestlings of a few days old, was brought 

 to me on April 5, 1890, having been taken on 3rd inst. ; 

 the brood could not have been hatched more than a 

 week at the outside, I doubt if it had even attained 

 that age, and I had great fears about the possibility of 

 rearing the youngsters ; however, their captor assured 

 me that he had great experience in rearing young birds, 

 and had no doubt of success in this instance ; so I 

 confided them to his care, with the most happy result, 

 as the four birds are still alive and well at this time of 

 writing, January 10, 1891. 



I have kept a good many of this species in captivity, 

 their tameness and quaint habits render them most 

 interesting as pets ; but I have generally found them, 

 restless and ceaselessly nibbling and working at the 

 woodwork of their cages, and could never keep them 

 alive for any great length of time. I must, however, 

 say that before receiving the four birds above men- 

 tioned, all my captives of this species were wild-caught 

 birds, and would therefore in all probability be more 

 impatient of confinement than these youths who have 

 never known the delights of freedom. 



On the vexed question of the plumage of the 

 Crossbill, I can only say that every red bird that I ever 



