P A R R O T C R O S S B IT L IL .
Loria pityopsittacus ¡ ffia cJu sb J.
nus> LOXÍA.
*. :v«A». v w k moaerawv strong, compressed, .We two inaiKhbleg. ¡t^ally-curved, kook
and crossing each other a t the ir tips. Nostrils ¡¡mi, round, concealed, under hi
directed forwards. Toes three before and one behind, the former divided.. Wi,
wnderate, th e fifst cram-feather longest. 'Tail forked.
PA R RO T C RO S1 BU, I,*
T h e Crossbills; i&t&mVh | | | i | jg § i p f 'jtoMm ^ f jfnt# r # f tiiilr tW ittwdMm
Cuv.), exhibit many cmwsi*fil-;iSiííMí its tiM* i&kkib ¡gijíü as «y* i_L _ .
. -uoderetood. T .-.-tr itiiijiiiiiitii.il ufrtii
portion o f ti* H |¡ i § S |H § it i | |M | : | g | j | | | § | the § § | | j | § of ‘H-erj iM|®a ¿ÉJ
. conti^ted c b ^ % ; f $ i Í 1 1 | *M§§§j « t a b * ifesae | | § | / | s ara‘the result o í adOuhfe mwlt>
Or produced by * rita y * <af «okmr AMwiwdww from one tint to another:, the moult being lw,it
1® extreine cutWa Jt, 11 lb the highest northern latitudes that they breed in ii&rinir
returning, .as spring comes on-, to their retreats within the arctic circle."
Of this genus the Pamrt Crossbill is one o f the'rarest. In England it has been token so sdkiosKt u;. n .: ,
• sf reiul throughout the pine forest» irl winter, :».i n a n i t g M rthtKmh with the fotjimi ¿fsjirUig. k r,,...,',
and Holland its visits are accidental.
T h e Parrot Crossbill vaxf be ctmti&sréitW she I fl* o f .the Hoiked genus to which it belongs,—a genu's at
oi|ce distinguished by the singular tbrb.ation <jf tijtti beak, 'tite curved mandibles of which cross each other so
• «*'to P ^ u c e an 'ap pearance o f ibaving been nnnatorally distorted. This mode o f construction, however-,'is a
; wise provision o f nature, for the pOrjiose of enabling the i>ird to separate the hard scales o f the fir-cones covering
tthe seeds which constitute its principal subsistence. These seeds it obtains by bringing the points o f the
mandibles, from shear croa.'*! position and placing them in apposition. The points, thus brought together
1 hre insinuated between «hr wjtie and the body o f the fircone, a n d ¡¡p mandibles are then separate#. by a
powerful ipuseafctB totoral The seed is at the base o f the inner side o f the scab;, and in ivsmoh^ ¡,y
; the hard tongue «Nlte hircl sritib- tító* sy fr>»» tiw mme. t« the jpmwiV she bill ,•
!'of the mandibles less decidatfc^
S I According to, M. T«mnJj|p. the wtamto# o f the to é em 'U » swtofi. stole .m m m 'rtaxfa d tv-'tf jta$Kfr
: olive} thecheeks, tjtowftt Ütfid, «de» of ti;-r. ■•.-vii b*,i¡d tlfeera .. ,
dashes.bordéred ivitli dull yto : , i.K- ; . ■ ... .> ..
with a shade o f grey 5 the side* are dnslunl 'i¡§0 of éixk ¡f&ftí' ^<4 M , -dark bro» -
edged with greenish ; irides and tarsi brown 4 btfisk dtHrk boni CKdsuo
'The young tmk* of the year aw greenish hr&** m il dashes o f fer.mn ttw M mi} back 5 the under
parts whitish grey with longitudinal spots o f bttiww ; nnwp and taH-otvnrt* tis^sd with green. After the first
moult, to the age o f a year, the pUmiage exhibks singular change, bring of a beautiful crimson red, more or
less pure, as M. Teimmuck «tabes, aecording as l:ltc individual approximates to the jieriod o f the second moult,
which occurs in April or May, when the <p«l?s a.wi tail-feathers are black edged with reddish. It is b»*mg¿
we suspect, still doubtful whether this state? o f ’pkmsge is indeed that of winter or of,an imraatnrc mv&xhator
if so, it is not a little remarkable that in than ffltSifrfMüt the birds o f this genus should form an e.veepj to the
general rule which gives the richest hue« «».$§&¥% p.iui the season o f love.
The feniale 'diflers little^ from the'jdaicuwiii'-Ki.rac! y-mng males o f the year. The tipper pa *... ahs
jgrey with dashes of brown ; the rump yelí'..»W :.i¡a - the uuder parts ashy with a slight fe¡í.c< ^pe ui p&wmi*
¡iwtó white towards the vent and' iHider.tail-Otí'iHljiiK.
The figures in the Plate are o f the natural m&i and represent the variations in colour to '¡t-s «sc^ws