Genus CORYTHUS, Cuv.
Gen. C h a r . B e a k short, hard, thick, rounded in every p a rt and slightly hooked a t the point.
N o s tr ils basal, lateral and rounded, covered with thickly set hair-like feathers. Tarsi
short. Toes entirely divided. W in g s more lengthened than in th e genus P y rrh n la .
T a il moderate and slightly forked.
P IN E G R O S B E A K .
Corythus eneucleator, Cuv.
Le Bouvreuil durbec.
The Pine Grosbeak, hitherto classed among the Bullfinches, has been separated by Cuvier and advanced to
the rank o f a genus under the name of Corythus, which, as will be readily perceived, has characters
sufficiently strong to warrant its legitimacy. The situation which this genus appears to hold is that o f the
connecting link between Loxia on the one hand and Pyrrhula on the other; agreeing with the former in its
place o f resort, habits, manners and style o f colouring, and with the latter in the short and rounded beak.—1
The Pine Grosbeak, though not strictly a native o f Great Britain, has been several times killed in our Island.
Its true habitat appears to be within the Arctic Circle of both Continents, and we know it to be abundant in
Norway, Sweden and Russia, inhabiting the secluded recesses o f the almost untrodden pine forests of those
countries, where it feeds upon the seeds o f pine cones, as well as various kinds o f other seeds and wild alpine
berries. In the more southern provinces o f Europe it appears to be merely an accidental visitor, and is rarely
met with even in the North o f Germany.
In another point also we trace a similarity between this bird and the Crossbill;—viz., in the changes which
its plumage undergoes, passing, according to the seasons, from greenish yellow to a scarlet more or less pure.
In the annexed Plate we have given a figure o f the male and female in what we consider to be their adult
plumage: on this point, however, we differ from M. Temmiuck, whose description we take the liberty of
transcribing.
“ The livery of the adult and aged male :
“ Head, throat, and upper part o f the neck o f an orange red, becoming lighter on the fore-part o f the
neck ; the breast and underparts o f an orange-yellow; the feathers of the back, scapulars and rump, o f a
blackish brown in the middle with a large border o f orange-yellow; wings and tail black, the former having
two transverse white bands; all the secondary feathers.bordered with white; quill- and tail-feathers edged
slightly with orange ; length seven inches nine lines.
“ The male after its first moult, till a year old:
“ Head, neck, throat, breast, part of the belly and rump, of a crimson red, the more strong and brilliant
as the individual approaches its second moult. Feathers o f the back and scapulars black in the middle, with
a large border o f crimson-red; sides, belly, and lower tail-coverts ash-coloured; two roseate bands cross
the wings, and the secondary feathers are largely bordered with the same colour: the quill- and tail-feathers
are all edged with light red.
“ Adult and young female :
“ The females o f the year have only the top of the head and the rump reddish; when adult, they have those
parts o f a brown strongly tinged with orange, the back o f the neck and cheeks edged with the same colour;
the back and scapulars ashy brown; the under parts ash-coloured with a slight tinge o f orange; the wings
have two bands o f greyish' white; all the wing-feathers edged with greenish orange.”
Young (females) are more obscure in their colouring. The nest is built on trees at a short distance from
the ground; the eggs are white, without spots, and four or five in number.—We have figured a male and
female o f their natural size.