1NSESS0RES.
CONIROSTRES.
FRINGILLIDÆ.
T H E PA RRO T CROSSBILL.
Loxià pityopsittacus, Parrot Crossbill, Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 16Q.'
„ ,, Fiæm. Brit. An. p. 76r. '
' »» ,, _ Seebt, Brit. Ornitta vol. i. p. 33%?"
’ . » - Jenyns, Briti-Yert. p. 142.
. ?» •.-.»» _Goüî..d,( Birds,of Eurdpe, _pt. vi.
Bec-croisé perroquet, Temm. Man. S’Ornith.'vol. i7p. 32A.
T he first notice of the appearance of this bird in this
country that I am acquainted with, occurs in Pennant’s British
Zoology, at the commencement of his account of the1 Common
Crossbill, where the following statement will be found :
-7^ “ We received a male and female of the laTge variety out
of Shropshire : the bill was remarkably thick and shoff, fnote
incurvated than that of the common bird, and the end^ more
blunt.” This bird was considered only as a variety of the
common species by Gmelin, who called it Loxia curvirostra
major; but it is now admitted as a distinct species by Bech-
stein, Brehm, Meyer, Naumann, and Nilsson, besides those
authorsnnumerated5under the title here, and probably many
others- oLgood authority^ ;v
■ -Since- the- year 1776, the date of that edition of Pennant>
British Zoology which contains his notice, this species has
occurred twice a t least imSeotland, and several timep? in England.
Mr. Blyth has recorded one instance- of its being shot
in Surrey^ and a second instance of its being obtained in the
autumn of 1835 in'Epping Forest. SeveraL'specimens were
brought for salc to .the London market in March 1838, and
we^e» eagerly purchased by those who ±we|e, acquainted with,
the specific difference,^.and aware-of their rarity. Two. of
these I saw- and.. examined. Mr. Bartlett was jftp purchaser
of a third, and I am ihdebt^lfto'himrfor the opportunity of
.figuring, from-the.sternum ofotfet bird to show* tile difference-
in |f% \betwCen it and that «flour more-common species.;
‘The'sl^qiireaentationS form f^ ^ b je fe h o f the vignette at the.
end of this- articls^fr/f
^,Spectraerfs|^lf the Parrot Crossbill are .frequently- brought
from- Germany^ to hhis^ountry by dealersin\ birds’ - -skins,
^ h ^ -fe o d ^ f“ this'bird, and its mode^li^btaining it, are, as
fiir as* known,ithe,.same as that -of .thei-Conamon*Crossbill; but
the' Parrot CrossbilHs a much-rarer bird. In high-northern
latitudes it breeds in May ;»but in rnoref. ^©Utherly^ countries
it as- said to go to neit.much earlienfin spring,c^or even before*
the winter.has (iehtirely passed away ;^is/al'so;said to lay Tour
or five- ash-coloured eggs,^spotted- with red at the -larger end«-*
According to M. T emminck,- this* bird is only an occasional
visiter either in Holland^or P r a n c e i t inhabits Germany,;
and the parts of the European (gtotinent still farther
north. M. Ni|sSc&i includes.the species'-in his Birds' of
Sweden, but mentions that .specimens,, are.more frequently
d 2