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CROSSBILL. 
COMMON CEOSSBILL. EtTEOPEAN CEOSSBILL. SHEL-APPLE. 
Loxia curvirostra , Linnaeus. Latham. 
Loxia. Loxos — Curved—oblique. Curvirostra, Cvrvus — 
Curved. Rostra— The beaks of birds. 
It has been abundantly and conclusively demonstrated that 
the curious beak of the Crossbill, so far from being, as 
described by Buffon, ‘an error and defect of nature, and a 
useless deformity’, is most peculiarly and admirably adapted 
to the mode of life for which it was created. 
On the European continent these singular birds are met 
with in Russia, Siberia, Denmark, Norway, Lapland, Sweden, 
Bavaria, Poland, Germany, Silesia, Bohemia, Prussia, Holland, 
Prance, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. In Asia also, even 
to remote Japan, and in North America in various parts. 
In every or almost every county of England they have at 
one time or other been met with. In Cornwall, however, 
they are very rare. One was shot in the Orchard, Grove 
Hill, Woodlane; and three at Carclew, in April, 1850. 
In the latter end of the year 1821 and the beginning of 
1822, Crossbills were very numerous in many parts of the 
country; so they were also in 1828, 1829, 1833, 1834, 1837, 
1838, 1839, as likewise in 1806, 1791, and in 1593, of which 
the following account is given in an old manuscript, quoted 
by Mr. Yarrell:—‘That the yeere 1593 was a greate and 
exceeding yeere of apples; and there were greate plenty of 
strang birds, that shewed themselves at the time the apples 
were full rype, who fedde uppon the kernells onely of those 
apples, and haveinge a bill with one beake wrythinge over 
the other, which would presently bore a greate hole in the 
