56 
allen's naturalist’s library. 
breeding-range, and has occurred on migration in Southern 
Sweden, Heligoland, and France ; while Mr. Howard Saunders 
records two specimens from the south of Spain. 
Hafcits. — Mr. Seebohm observes : “ The marshy forest-banks 
of the great Siberian rivers are a very favourite resort of 
this bird ; and in the Baltic Provinces, where it is common, 
and in the valley of the Upper Volga, it is described as fre- 
quenting willows and other low trees in marshy districts.” 
Nest. — Described by Mr. Seebohm as built in the fork of a 
small bush, or amongst climbing-plants not far from the ground, 
and resembling rather that of a Warbler than that of a Finch. 
It is deep, carefully made, so slenderly put together as to be 
semi-transparent when held up to the light, and composed of 
long grass-stalks and lined with horse-hair. 
Eggs. — Four to five in number, of a beautiful blue colour, 
with small underlying spots of reddish brown, and darker over- 
lying spots of purplish brown or black, chiefly collected round 
the larger end. Axis, 075-0-85 inch; diam., o'55-o-6. 
THE CROSSBILLS. GENUS LOXIA. 
Loxia, Linn. Syst., Nat., i., p. 299 (1766, pt.). 
Type, L. curvirostra Linn. 
The Crossbills, so called from their mandibles crossing each 
other at the end of the bill, are easily recognised by this pecu- 
liarity. In the very young birds this feature is not noticeable, 
the bill being apparently like that of any other Finch, but the 
mandibles begin to be irregular in shape as soon as the birds 
are full-sized. 
The common Crossbill varies very much in size, the largest 
birds being found in Northern Europe, and possessing such big 
bills that they have generally been considered a separate species, 
and have been called the Parrot Crossbill (Z. pytiopsittacus), 
while the American form (Z. americana ) is very much smaller, 
and the Himalayan one (Z. himalayana) the smallest of all. 
They are all, however, mere races of the ordinary Crossbill of 
Europe (Z. curvirostra). 
