Genus CORYTHUS, Cuwv.

Gen. Cuar. Beak short, hard, thick, rounded in every part and slightly hooked at the point
We. aS ay L is . e ;
Nostrils basal, lateral and rounded, covered with thickly set hair-like feathers.  Tursj
short. Toes entirely divided. Wings more lengthened than in the genus Pyrrhula

Tal moderate and slightly forked.

PINE GROSBEAK.

Corythus eneucleator, Cuwv.

Le Bouvreuil durbec.

Tue Pine Grosbeak, hitherto classed among the Bullfinches, has been separated by Cuvier and advanced to
the rank of a genus under the name of Corythus, which, as will be readily perceived, has characters
sufficiently strong to warrant its legitimacy. The situation which this genus appears to hold is that of the
connecting link between Lowa on the one hand and Pyrrhula on the other; agreeing with the former in its
place of resort, habits, manners and style of colouring, and with the latter in the short and rounded beak.—
The Pine Grosbeak, though not strictly a native of Great Britain, has been several times killed in our Island.
Its true habitat appears to be within the Arctic Circle of both Continents, and we know it to be abundant in
Norway, Sweden and Russia, inhabiting the secluded recesses of the almost untrodden pine forests of those
countries, where it feeds upon the seeds of pine cones, as well as various kinds of other seeds and wild alpine
berries. In the more southern provinces of Europe it appears to be merely an accidental visitor, and is rarely
met with even in the North of Germany.

In another point also we trace a similarity between this bird and the Crossbill 3—viz., in the changes which
its plumage undergoes, passing, according to the seasons, from greenish yellow to a scarlet more or less pure.
In the annexed Plate we have given a figure of the male and female in what we consider to be their adult
plumage : on this point, however, we differ from M. Temminck, whose description we take the liberty of
transcribing.

‘* The livery of the adult and aged male :

“Head, throat, and upper part of the neck of an orange red, becoming lighter on the fore-part of the
neck ; the breast and underparts of an orange-yellow; the feathers of the back, scapulars and rump, of a
blackish brown in the middle with a large border of orange-yellow ; wings and tail black, the former having
two transverse white bands; all the secondary feathers bordered with white; quill- and tail-feathers edged
slightly with orange ; length seven inches nine lines.

‘‘ The male after its first moult, till a year old:

‘‘ Head, neck, throat, breast, part of the belly and rump, of a crimson red, the more strong and brilliant
as the individual approaches its second moult. Feathers of the back and scapulars black in the middle, with
a large border of crimson-red ; sides, belly, and lower tail-coverts ash-coloured ; two roseate bands cross
the wings, and the secondary feathers are largely bordered with the same colour: the quill- and tail-feathers

are all edged with light red.

‘* Adult and young female :
“The females of the year have only the top of the head and the rump reddish ; when adult, they have those

parts of a brown strongly tinged with orange, the back of the neck and cheeks edged with the same colour ;
the back and scapulars ashy brown; the under parts ash-coloured with a slight tinge of orange; the wings
have two bands of greyish white ; all the wing-feathers edged with greenish orange.”

Young (females) are more obscure in their colouring. The nest is built on trees at a short distance from
the ground; the eggs are white, without spots, and four or five in number.—We have figured a male and

female of their natural size.