the female green : the: voice a single sharp note, frequently
repeated, and also when flying from one tree to another; all
their actions very paroquet like. Such is the substance of
the brief account supplied by M. Neeker; and the-fact that
the mandibles are not crossed over till the bird is'obliged to
seek its own living, exhibits one of those beautiful provisions
of N ature, under which the formative process remains suspended
till the age and necessities of the animal require the
particular developement.
On the European continent, the Crossbills visit Spain
and Genoa, but are seldom seen further south. They inhabit
the Alps and Pyrenees, the pine forests- of Switzerland
and Germany, Poland, Russia, Siberia and eastward bver
Asia, even to Japan. They inhabit also Denmark, Norway,
and Sweden, where Professor Nilsson' says they bnild their
nests on the uppermost branchesmf -firs in the winter months.
Linnaeus, in the account of his Tour in Lapland,'mentions
having seen Crossbills there on the 22nd of May. ...
I t has been considered and stated, that the Common
Crossbill of North America was too small in size to be of the
same species as that of Europe; but the measurement given
by Mr. Audubon of the American bird, viz. whole length
seven inches, extent of wings eleven inches, is equSl to that
of our own birth and- some of our English examples are even
the smaller of the two. The general description of the
plumage and its changes, as given in the second volume of
the Biography, page 560, agrees with the appearances of our
b ird ; and Mr. Audubon concludes his account of the American
species with the following sentence:—“ I have carefully
compared skins of the American bird with others of
that found in Scotland, but have not succeeded in detecting
any differences sufficient to indicate a specific distinction'.”
The localities inhabited by the Crossbill in North America
are thus referred to in-the work just quoted:—“ I have
found this species more abundant in Maine, and in the British
Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, than anywhere
el$e. Although I have met with it as early as the
month of August in the Great Pine Forest of Pennsylvania,
I haye> never hein uts-nest.” The habits , of the birds in the
t are, identical.,
; In describing »the ,plumage of the Crossbill at different
ages, I shall commence with * that of the nestling as mentioned
by M. Neeker, which is stated to have been dark
•green, with, blockish longitudinal marks. The next appear*
azqfee, that of young* birds when first seen in this country in
Jufte and July^presentj^a^eyish white on ,the„head,; neck,
and, all,the undersurface ;of. the body, streaked longitudinally
-with dusky brown; the Wings and tail uniform dull brown.
AV'thi^-age,.:as' obgjp^bd, by Mr. BLyth^. they resemble; the'
Jemalq ^ § k m p ^ t |j |p r f plumage.: r bdt^ ^ ^ j»les. .are, dkiim*
gu-ishad * from the females by having; ?the^ striated portion of
the ■ plumage eonsiderably mb^^'d.istinqtj-y tod more vividly1
contrasted* than*.that\ofrfhe female. The upper bird in;the
! il6,up -at_Jh%headi :of this subject, represents a yoilng bird.
B^the,. month .of September the young. mate|j have > become
more uniform in Colour,, the .stripes,, are more diffused, and
their first-autumnal moult t commences by change do one of
:^uj^e,different g ^ e s f—namely,.to red qrilyf;or to yellow-
* only, ydiile others change to red and.yelbqw^mixed, some fea-
,^ers«.being, red,, some yellow,’ and, some .orah^^' the,,last being
dhg^ffectof red an^y,(§l<Dys-combined., -The red and yellow
tirfts probably be^me much brighter as,the males.grow older,
many grades of,tints, being observablej. some _ of which are as
brilliant^! others are dull.
. A (jed male, no^«hf&E§, ito^thaj|: had ,cnmpleted his moult
during his first .yah-tumn, has the.be^k dull reddish brown,
darkest ^owajxls t h ^ i p of the upper, mandible;
irides dark brown ; the-head, rump, throat, breast, and belly,