Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, NIC-PAR

ORNITHOLOGY.
Gen. 8l. LoxiA, Grossbcak.
Loxia.
764
Characters.
7?5
Curviro-
IHra.
766
Cccco-
thraustes.
767
Enuclea
i]6$
Pyr’rbula
Bill sttong, thick, convex, and rounded at the base j
lower mandible bent in at the edge j nostrils small,
round at the base of the bilk} tongue truncated.
Crossbill, or sheld Mandibles crossing each
other j body varying in colour-, wings and forked tail
brown j varies, with a reddish head and scarlet body.
Male red, varied with brown and green, lemale olive
green, mixed with brown. Weighs about an ounce
and a half; length near six inches and a half. Inhabits
Europe, Asia, and America. Is not known to breed
with us, but is more or less found among fir plantations
from June to the latter end of the year, feeding on the
seed by dexterously dividing the scales of the cones, lor
Which purpose the hill is admirably adapted. It is
sometimes found in orchards in autumn, and will readily
divide an apple to get at the kernels. Many are taken
with a bird-call and birdlime*, and others by a horse-
• hair noose fixed on a long fishing rod *, for so intent are
these birds on picking out the seeds of the cdiie, that
they will suffer themselves to bo taken by the noose be-
ing put over their head. The crossbill breeds in the
northern countries early in the month of March, on tlm
tops of the pine trees, making its hemispherical nest ot
twigs, and of the sphagnum arboreum, two inches arid
a half thick, lining it with the lichen Jlondns, and stop*
ping up the chinks with rosin. It is capable of being-
tamed, and in confinement climbs up the wires of a
cage by the claws and beak.
Grossbeak, or hawfinch.—Chesnut ash j wings with a
white line : middle quill feathers rhombic at the tips ^
tail feathers black at the base of the thinner web; or¬
bits and chin black } tail spotted with white within.
The length of this species is six inches j weight about
two ounces. The plumage is subject to great variety.
It inhabits Europe, and usually appears in Britain in
the autumn, continuing till April, and appeRiing in
small flocks of four or five, but not commonly. It is
more plentiful in France, and breeds in Burgundy in
April. The nest is composed of dried fibres intermixed
with liverwort, and lined with finer materials. The
eggs are of a bluish green spotted with olive brown,
with a few irregular black markings. This bird lives
on the kernel of the almond, walnut, and cherry, break¬
ing with the greatest ease their hard stones with its
bill.
Pine grossbeak.-—Wings with a double White line ‘,
tail feathers all black j head, neck, breast, and rump in
the young bird, red j in the old yellow j female olive.
Nine inches long. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and Ameri¬
ca, but is limited to the northern regions of these quar¬
ters of the globe, and especially to the pine forests. In
this island it is only found in the north of Scotland,
where it is also supposed to breed. It sings excellently,
and during the night, but soon ceases. It builds in
trees pretty near the ground a nest of small sticks, and
lines it with feathers, laying four eggs. Its food is the
seed of the pine.
Bullfinch.—Cinereous 5 head, wings, and tail black j
coverts of the tail, and hindermost quill feathers white j
crown black j breast cinereous-, belly of the male red, of
the female chesnut. Scarcely six inches long, and liable
*0 vary in its markings^ Inhabits Europe and Siberia.
In summer it frequents vVoods, and in winter haunts or- p4SSer(.
chards and gardens, where it preys on the young buds
of the trees. It is not gregarious, but is usually obser¬
ved in pairs, or on broods, and remains with us all the
year, making a nest of small dry twigs, lined with fi¬
brous roots, in some thick bush, either in woods or
hedges, about the latter end of April or beginning of
May, and laying four or five eggs of a bluish-white,
speckled and* streaked with purple, and rather larger
than those of a linnet. The native notes of the bull¬
finch are few, but remarkably soft, and uttered in so
low a tone as to escape a common observer j the call
notes are simple, but more audible. In confinement it
becomes very docile, and may be taught a great varie¬
ty of tunes, and even to imitate human speech. But it
also acquires harsh strains with equal facility. A friend
of the Comte de Buffon saw one of this species that had
never heard any person whistle but carters j and it
whistled with their strength and coarseness. These
birds are also susceptible of strong and durable attach¬
ments. Some have been known, after escaping and
living a whole year in the woods, to recognise the voice
of their mistress, and return to torsake her no more,
and others have died of melancholy on being removed
from the first object of their attachment. ^
Cardinal grossbeak.—Crested j red } frontlet black j Cardinal
bill and legs blood red j crest, when erect, pointed.
Nearly eight inches long. Inhabits North America
From the melody of its song, some of the Americans
cell it nightingale. In spring, and during great part of
summer, it sits on the tops of the highest trees, and
makes the forests echo with its song. During summer,
it lays up its winter provision of maize and buck-wheat.
Nearly a bushel of the former grain has been found in
the retreat of one of these birds, artfully covered with
leaves and small branches of trees, and only a small hole
left at which the bird enters. In cages it will sing
with a very sburt interval of silence, through the whole
year. # 770
Molucca grossbeak.—Colour brownish j the head, 2^,^J
throat, and tail feathers are black ", beneath waved withm.
white and black j bill black ; hindhead, wings and legs
brown j rump waved with-white and black. l our inches ^ ,j
long. Inhabits the Molucca islands. 771
Hamburgh grossbeak.—Head and neck chesnut
above j’chin, hand in the middle of the white throatjM- ,
and rounded tail brown -, back, breast, and rump yellow-
‘ish-brown, spotted with black j belly', vent, and two
bands on the wing edverts white. Nearly six inches
long. Inhabits the neighbourhood of Hamburgh, leeds
on-insects, and climbs trees like the creeper. 77.
Greenfinch, or green grossbeak ; pr0v incially green Chlorb-
linnet.—Yellowish-green-, primary quill feathers edged
with yellow four lateral tail feathers pale yellow at
the basey bill brownish j legs flesh coloured j female
browner. Rather larger than the house sparrow 5 weight
nearly eight drams y length six inches and a half. la*
habits Europe and Kamtschatka; is very common in
most parts of this country in summer 5 becomes gregari¬
ous in winter, and associates with chaffinches and ye
low hammers 5 but in severe weather migrates from par- .
ticular districts. It is rather a late breeder. I he nest
is comprised of small dry twigs, bents, and moss, inter¬
woven with wool, and lined with hair and feathers. R
is commonly placed among ivy surrounding a tree, or m