130 



CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



The Cross-bill and the Parrot Cross-bill. — Among other 

 valuable information on almost every branch of natural history, 

 which I have obtained from a man in my neighbourhood, was an in- 

 teresting description of four young cross-bills, {Loxia curvirostra), 

 which were reared to maturity by one of his relatives. The nest 

 was found in a bush, close by a small brook, in the vicinity of 

 Seven Oaks, Kent ; and the parent hen was taken upon it, and con- 

 tinued to feed her offspring when in the cage. What at length be- 

 came of them he could not inform me ; but the account he gave of 

 their manners left no doubt as to their being actually of that species ; 

 indeed the peculiar and very singular form of the beak, in this 

 genus, precludes the possibility of a mistake. The young birds, he 

 informs me, were about half fledged when he first saw them, of a 

 uniform brown colour, and had the bill as much crossed as the 

 adults. There is, I believe, as yet, no instance on record of the 

 cross-bill having been known to breed in this country • but the 

 truth and consistency to nature, which I have ever observed in the 

 communications of my informant, fully entitle him to belief. 



It has generally been said, that the grosbeak or hawfinch, (Cocco- 

 thraustes communis,) does not breed here ; three instances, however, 

 have come under my notice during the last two summers, all in the 

 vicinity of the metropolis. 



I may avail myself also of this opportunity, to mention, that I 

 lately saw a fine specimen of the parrot cross-bill, (Loxia pijtiopsitta- 

 cus t ) in the possession of an artizan in Southwark, who has a small 

 collection of stuffed birds, &c. It was shot in the neighbourhood of 

 London. — E. Blyth, Tooting, Surrey. 



Sir Wm. Jardine's natural history of humming birds.* — 

 We have seen a specimen copy of this work, which exceeds in cheap- 

 ness any thing which has hitherto appeared in this speculating age. 

 There are upwards of thirty beautiful engravings, remarkable for 

 scientific accuracy both in the outlines and the colouring, and all 

 for six shillings. To those who are acquainted with the previous 

 writings of Sir Wm. Jardine, we need not say that the descriptions 

 which he has given of the subjects of Mr. Lizars's elegant plates, 

 fully bear out the opinion we have already expressed and exemplified 

 in our notice of Sir William's notes to the American Ornithology. 

 When the volume is regularly published, we shall take an early 

 opportunity of noticing its contents, and in the mean time we wish 

 all success to the praiseworthy undertaking. 



* The Naturalist's Library, conducted by Sir Wm. Jardine, Bart. ; the plates by 

 W. H. Lizars, foolscap 8vo. Stirling and Kenny, Edinburgh. 



