. The birds of Europe . ult, to the age of a year, the plumage exhibits a singular change, being of a beautiful crimson red, more orless pure, as M. Temminck states, according as the individual approximates to the period of the second moult,which occurs in April or May, when the quills and tail-feathers are black edged with reddish. It is however,we suspect, still doubtful whether this state of plumage is indeed that of winter or of an immature condition :if so, it is not a little remarkable that in this respect the birds of this genus should form an exception to thegeneral rule which gives th
. The birds of Europe . ult, to the age of a year, the plumage exhibits a singular change, being of a beautiful crimson red, more orless pure, as M. Temminck states, according as the individual approximates to the period of the second moult,which occurs in April or May, when the quills and tail-feathers are black edged with reddish. It is however,we suspect, still doubtful whether this state of plumage is indeed that of winter or of an immature condition :if so, it is not a little remarkable that in this respect the birds of this genus should form an exception to thegeneral rule which gives the richest hues to maturity and the season of love. The female differs little from the plain-coloured young males of the year. The upper parts are greenishgrey with dashes of brown ; the rump yellowish; the under parts ashy with a slight tinge of green passinginto white towards the vent and under tail-coverts. The figures in the Plate are of the natural size, and represent the variations in colour common to this CROSSBILL, Loxia curvixostra: !;: - - - -- COMMON CROSSBILL. Loxia curvirostra, Linn. La Bee croise commim, ou des Pines. Although the Common Crossbill frequently visits our island in large numbers at opposite seasons of the year,it can scarcely be considered as a permanent resident; a few isolated instances, it is true, are on recordof its having bred with us, but its natural habitat is undoubtedly the high northern regions of the old Selby informs us that in the year 1821 immense flocks visited this kingdom and scattered themselvesamong the woods and plantations, particularly where fir-trees were abundant. Their first appearance was earlyin June, and the greater part of the flocks seemed to consist of females and the young of the year (the malespossessing the red plumage assumed from the first moult to the end of that year). Many of the females Ikilled showed plainly, from the denuded state of their breasts, that they had been engaged in incubat
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectpictorialworks
