CROSSBILL. 
Ill 
head and crown white, prettily undulated with black lines ; on the 
hind head the feathers are very long and black, which the bird erects 
in form of a conic crest ; cheeks dirty white, spotted with black ; a 
black stroke crosses the cheek under the eye, which turns back in an 
acute angle under the ear, forming the letter V ; behind that is a bed 
of white, surrounding the cheeks, and bounded externally by a black 
edge, which forms a peak on the hind-head, and also joins the black 
on the throat and chin ; the back is greenish brown ; breast and belly 
pale bulf ; wings and tail much like the back, but deeper coloured ; 
legs bluish lead-colour. 
The Crested Tit is a solitary retired species, inhabiting only gloomy 
forests, particularly those which abound with evergreens. It has 
not been found in South Britain, but is not uncommon amongst 
the large tracts of pines in the north of Scotland, particularly in the 
forest of Glenmoor, the property of the Duke of Gordon, from whence 
we have seen it. The eggs are said to be white, with small spots of 
red. * The nest, according to Temminck, is built in the holes of trees 
or rocks, and sometimes in the deserted nest of the crow or squirrel.* 
It is said to be found in Normandy, and in many parts between that 
and Sweden. 
CROCKER. — A name for the Laughing Gull. 
CROOKED BILL. — A name for the Avoset. 
CROSSBILL {JLoxia curvirostra^ Linn^us.) 
Loxia curvirostra, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 299. 1. — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 843. sp. 1. — Lath. 
Ind. Orn. 1. p. 370. sp. 1, — Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1 p. 391. — Loxia, Raii, Syn. p. 
86, A. — Will. p. 181. 1.44. — Briss.S.p. 299. t. 17. f. 3. — Le Bee croise. Buff. 
Ois. 3. p. 449. t. 27. f. 2. — Ib. pi. Enl. 218. — Bee eroise eommun, ou des Pins, 
Temrn. Man. d’Orn. 1. p. 328. — Fichten Kreuzehnabe, Bechst. Naturg. Dent. 3. 
p. 4. t. 3. f. 1, — Meyer, Tassehenb. Dent. 1. p. 140. — Ih. Vbg. Dent. 1. figures 
of different ages. — Crossbill, or Sheld Apple, Br. Zool. 1. No. 115. t. 49. — Aret. 
ZooL 2. No. 208. — Will. (Angl.) p. 248. t. 44. — Lath. Syn. 3. p. 106. 1. — 
Lewin’s Br. Birds, 2. t. 66. — Mont. Orn. Diet, 1. — Alhin, 1. 1, 61, — Wale. Syn. 
2. t. 205. — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 11. — Bewick’s Br. Birds, 1. p. t. 130. — Shaw’s 
Zool. 9. p. 231. t. 41. — Selby, p!. 53. p. 251.* 
This species weighs about an ounce and a half ; length near six 
inches and a half ; bill strong, both mandibles convex, and crossing 
each other at the points, which are hooked ; colour brown ; eyes 
small ; irides dusky. 
The plumage of the male varies from a beautiful red to orange- 
colour on the head, neck, breast, back, and rump; the wing coverts 
rufous-brown ; quills and tail dusky ; vent almost white ; under-tail 
coverts spotted dusky ; tail forked ; legs short ; claws strong. 
The females also vary somewhat in colour. In general they are 
of a dull olive-green on those parts where the male is red ; but the 
