6 
The JSfatiiralists’ (yompaiiion. 
The American Crossbill. 
LOXIA CURVIKOSTRA AMERICANA, 
BY NAT U. RACIST, 
The American Crossbill, known also 
by the name of Red Crossbill, is one of 
the handsomest of our birds, as well as 
one of the most peculiar. These birds 
have long been celebrated on account of 
the singular form of their beak, from 
which they derive their name. 
the ordinary faculties of birds, and to 
be as capable of obtaining its food as 
any of the straight-beaked birds. 
The Crossbills obtain their principal 
food, the seeds of firs and pines, by 
tearing up the cones. They bring the 
points of the mandibles together—which 
they can do so as to pick up a very small 
seed—and insert them into the cone, 
when a powerful laternal movement 
widens the opening quite sufficiently, 
and the tongue, which terminates in a 
singular movable scoop, is inserted to 
In these birds the two mandibles— 
which are lather long, thick at the base, 
and much curved, crossing each other 
at the points, when the bill is closed. 
In different individuals, even of the 
same species, the upper and lower man¬ 
dibles are found variously directed to 
the right and left. The structure, when 
first seen looks not unlike a malforma¬ 
tion, and to prohibit the bird from 
])icking up seeds or feeding itself in any 
way. But when seen feeding, it speed¬ 
ily proves itself to be favored with all 
detach the seed. It is also very fond of 
apple-pips, aqd, settling on a tree where 
ripe apples are to be found, attacks the 
fruit with its beak, and in a very few 
moments cuts a hole fairly into the core, 
from which it daintily picks out the 
seeds and eats them, rejecting the ripe 
pulpy fruit in which they have been en¬ 
veloped. As the Crossbill is rather a 
voracious bird, the havoc which it will 
make in an orchard may be imagined. 
The male, as is the case with all birds, 
has the most beautiful plumage. The 
