The plumage of the nestling-Crossbill obtained in Holt
Forest, as before stated, is greyish-white over nearly the
whole body, tinged with yellow and streaked longitudinally
with dusky brown—the wings and tail being dark brown, the
feathers edged and tipped with pale wood-brown. At this
time, when the bird may be about three weeks old the bill is
straight,* the lower mandible shutting within the upper.
The legs and toes are flesh-coloured. An example undoubtedly
bred in this country the same year (1889) and obtained near
Winchester at the end of March, which, through the kindness
of Mr. J. Leadbeater, I had the opportunity of examining,
confirmed what has already been stated, and there was not
the slightest indication as to which side either mandible
would hereafter have been inclined.
The young, as seen in June and July, have the head, neck
and all the lower parts of the body, as in the nestling, but
the wings and tail are uniform dull brown. At this age, as
observed by Blyth (Mag. Hat. Hist. ix. p. 635), they resemble
a hen Siskin in plumage; but the sexes, as he afterwards
; stated (op. cit. New Ser. i. p. 451) may be distinguished
by the cocks having the striations considerably more
distinct, and more vividly contrasted, than the hens. The
upper figure in the woodcut at the head of this subject represents
a young' bird. By September the young cocks have
lost much of the striped appearance, and at their moult
begin to assume the red plumage of maturity. Some do
this at once, and this seems to be the normal mode though
they do not so early develope their most brilliant hues.
Others, possibly of a less vigorous constitution, have the red
feathers mixed with yellow, or become dull orange—the efliect
of red and yellow combined, while others again put on a
yellow or yellowish-green dress, and these are probably birds
in which development is, from some cause, still further re-
* Blyth says (Field-Nat. i. p. 130) he was informed by a man who saw a brood
taken near Sevenoaks, in Kent, that the nestlings when about half-fledged
‘.‘ had the bill as much crossed as the adults.” But Blyth did not assert this
on his own authority and it is clearly a mistake. The fact, very suggestive from
the evolutionist’s point of view, that the nestling’s mandibles are not crossed
was noticed so long ago as 1806 by Keeker.
tarded. Absolute proof that this yellowish-green suit (which
is that almost invariably assumed by caged birds) is ultimately
replaced by one of red is wanting ; but, though the
wearers of this livery may not unfrequently be found breeding
in it, there is good reason to believe that the change
takes place.* As it is there is great variation in the brilliancy
of the colour, whether yellowish-green, yellow, orange
or red.f
A red male, that had completed his first autumnal mouifi
had the bill dull reddish-brown, darkest towards the tip of
the upper mandible : irides dark brown: the head, rump,
throat, breast and belly, tile-red; the feathers on the back
mixed with brown, producing a chestnut-brown ; wing- and
tail-feathers, nearly uniform dark brown; vent, and lower
tail-coverts, greyish-white : legs, toes and claws, dark brown.
The middle figure of the woodcut represents such a bird.
A second male killed at the same time as that last described,
had the head, rump and lower surface of the body,
pale yellow, tinged with green ; the back olive-brown ; wings
and tail like those of the red bird.
A third male, also killed at the . same time, had the. top
of the head and the back reddish-brown mixed with dark
orange ; rump reddish-orange ; upper tail-coverts bright
orange; chin, throat and upper part of the breast, red,
passing lower down and on the sides, to orange.
Bed males moulting in confinement change to greenish-
yellow, or sometimes to bright yellow, and hence has arisen
the misconception of many ornithologists that the yellow
colour was that of the normal older livery ; but m captivity
several instances are known of red and yellow examples
* The Editor regrets being here again compelled to differ from the opinion of
his friend Mr. Hancock (B. Northumb. &c. p. 50) on the subject of the change
of plumage in birds of this genus-as well as of the genus Linota (pige 158).
Unfortunately there has been a laxity oh the part of observers in_ recording
whether the objects of their observations have been caged birds or at 'liberty.
t Examples are mentioned in which the wing-coverts have bright red edges.
Such birds are regarded by some as forming a distinct species—the Crucirotirv
Ufasciata of C. L. Brehm—and one of them is figured by Bonaparte and Schlegel
(Monogr. Lox. pi. 5). The Editor does not know of any example of this variety
having been observed in Britain.