LOXIA PITYOPSITTACUS,

Parrot Crossbill.

Bechst.

Lowa curvirostra (var. y) major, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom.
—— pytiopsittacus, Bechst. Orn. Tasch. Deutsch., vol. iii. p- 106.
Crucirostra pinetorum, Meyer, Vog. Liv- und Esthl., p. 71.

subpytiopsittacus, Brehm, Handb. der Naturg. Vog.

1. p. 843,

Deutsch. p. 242.

Lirtie philosophy is required to divine the purpose of the curiously formed bill of this bird, since even the
most careless glance would convince us that it has been desi

ae gned for some special object connected with
the bird’s economy and mode of life.

Had there been no coniferous trees, the
have been in existence, any more than there would have been hone
Eucalypti. So far from an error, a

form would probably not
y-feeding Parrots had there been no
defect of nature, and a useless deformity, as stated by Buffon, a more
perfect instrument than the bill of this bird for extracting the seeds from between the adales of the fir-
cones can scarcely be conceived, just as the bill of the Bullfinch is fitted for

shelling the embryo flowers
and buds of trees. I might, w

ere if necessary, cite numerous other instances of adaptation to
purpose; but I may content myself by stating that the variation in
all animals is accompanied by some speciality in their means of obt

a special
form and structure observable in
the Parrot Crossbill is among the cones which hang on the trees of the interminable forests it inhabits—such
forests as formerly existed in Scotland, but which are now only to be found in Norway, Sweden, Russia,
and Siberia. It is true the peculiar class of trees of which these forests are formed extend still further
south, both in the old and new worlds, and, wherever they exist, Crossbills of one or other species are also
found. In countries south of the equatorial line, firs and Loxiine birds form no part of their floree

and
faune ; and neither the one nor the other, if introduced, will, in my opinion, ever thrive there.

I could enlarge
upon this subject to any extent, were it not foreign to my present purpose; but I merely record my opinion

that none of these isolated forms will live out of their own country, and that it is futile to attempt to alter
the nature and condition of one or the other.

Crossbills are wandering birds, moving about from one part of the country to another, according to the
season and the abundance of cones hanging on their favourite trees ; sometimes they even leave their primeval
forests, and for a short time visit other districts, as will be seen in my account of the Lovia curvirostra.
Mr. Wheelwright, who has paid special attention to their habits and economy in the neighbourhood of
Gardsj6 in Sweden, states that if there be an abundance of fir-cones in autumn, plenty of Crossbills will be
found breeding there in the following spring—a circumstance which appears to happen about every third or
fourth year; and he has observed that, if large flocks are seen in the autumn, the chances are that there will
be very little snow during the following winter.

Ornithologists are divided in opinion as to the specific value of the Parrot and Common Crossbills, some
believing that the former is merely a large race of the latter, or vice versa. If this be really true, we may
also unite with them the Crossbills of Japan, North America, Mexico, and the small species found in the
Himalayas ; but I do not coincide with this opinion, for the following reasons. When Crossbills are found
in the Swedish forests, they are almost exclusively of the large or the smaller kind, and seldom, if ever, are
they found breeding in company. Further, if the Himalayan and American birds are one and the same
with our own, and the Pétyopsittacus be merely a larger race, why should it not be found in those countries
also? Such, however, is never the case; and I therefore think that such an opinion must fall to the ground.
To go into the origin of species would be entering the region of speculation, without obtaining any satisfactory
proofs as to how these somewhat trifling yet constant differences have been brought about; and iy
duty in the present work is to deal with things as we find them. I know that Mr. Wheelwright is of
opinion that the two birds are perfectly distinct. .

Since writing the above, I have read a passage on this very subject from the pen of Mr. Blyth, so perfectly
coincident that I could scarcely persuade myself that I had not: read it beforehand ; but I an assure my
readers that both my own and Mr. Blyth’s opinion were formed independently of each other. The following
is the passage referred to :— pee :

«© Mr. Bree doubts the existence of the Parrot Crossbill as a species. If that bird is to be united to

Loxia curvirostra, why not also the small species of the Himalayas, Z. Aimalayana, in which case the differ-
9

er : : Pies . mexicana corresponds to the LZ. pityo-
ence of size in the two extremes is great indeed? In America the L. mea | pity

psittacus of Europe; but on the former continent Z. mex

} ) 1 ; arn species of the two.
whereas in Europe L. pityopsittacus 1s the more northern species of the a ; ,
winged Crossbills of Europe and America respec-

5

icana is a more southern species than LZ. curvirostra,
If all these are to be regarded

tae
as varieties of one species, why not also the two White

aining their subsistence. The home of