208 
PASSERINtE. loxia. 
and papillate at the base, compressed in the middle, horny 
and concave above toward the end ; cesophagus rather wide, 
and having a large crop ; proventriculus oblong ; stomach ra- 
ther small, roundish, with strong muscles, and dense rugous 
epithelium ; intestine shortish, rather wide, with very small 
coeca. Nostrils basal, circular, concealed by the reversed 
feathers. Eyes rather small. Aperture of ear large. Head 
large, roundish ; neck short ; body compact. Legs short and 
strong ; tarsus compressed, with six anterior scutella ; toes of 
moderate strength ; claws large, arched, compressed, laterally 
grooved, very acute. Plumage rather blended ; wings long, 
with the outer three quills nearly equal ; tail short, emargi- 
nate. 
The Crossbills are especially remarkable for the manner 
in which the tips of their mandibles become bent and elon- 
gated, so as to cross each other in a considerable degree. In 
the young birds, previous to their leaving the nest, the bill 
is of the usual form ; so that the characteristic peculiarity of 
the genus results from the habit of applying the bill with a 
lateral twist, in order to disengage the seeds of the cones of 
firs and pines. They are inhabitants of the colder regions, 
and migrate in large flocks. One species is not very un- 
common in Britain, where some pairs have also been known 
to breed. 
133 . Loxia Pytiopsittacus. Parkot Crossbill. 
Length about eight inches^ wing from flexure four and a 
third, bill seven-twelfths in height at the base, of about the 
same length as the tarsus, extremely bulging, its outlines very 
convex, the points short, that of the lower slightly ascending. 
Male dull red above, brighter beneath, the rump yellowish- 
red, the wings and tail dark olive-brown. Female greyish- 
brown tinged with yellow above, the rump yellow, light yel- 
lowish-grey beneath, the wings and tail as in the male. Young 
males brownish-red, or yellowish-red, or wax yellow, or mot- 
tled with yellow and red. 
Male, 8, . ., 4:J-, 1, ^ ^ 
A specimen supposed to be British is in the museum of the 
University of Edinburgh, and another has been described by 
Mr Selby. It is not very certain that this species is not con- 
stituted merely of very large individuals of the next. 
