MODE OF TAKING.--With the decoy birds nothing is easier than to take the crossbills in the autumn and spring: one large rod, covered with strong bird-lime, is all that is necessary. It must be put in a glade in the wood which these birds frequent, with the decoy bird by the side; this, by its continual cry, will soon attract them. In Thuringia the people put nooses and spring traps on the top of some of the highest pines, and there hang the cage of the decoy bird; as soon as one crossbill has settled, the others follow; so that as many birds are taken as there are traps set, particularly if the stick of the spring traps be placed so that the bird must perch on it.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--The crossbill is rather a silly bird; in the cage its motions are like those of the parrot; when lively it swings its body like the siskin, and sings a few sharp strains, which are more or less monotonous, according to the different powers of the songsters--for some of the males far surpass the others in this short melody. It is easily tamed, can be carried about anywhere on the finger, and will go and return again without wandering.
Loxia pyrrhula, LINNÆUS; Le Bouvreuil, BUFFON; Der Gimpel, BECHSTEIN.
This is one of the indigenous tame birds which is a favourite with the rich and noble. Its body is thick and short. Its whole length is six inches and three quarters, of which the tail measures two and three quarters; the beak is only six lines in length, short, thick, and black; the iris is chestnut-coloured; the shanks eight lines high, and black; the top of the head, the circle of the beak, the chin, and beginning of the throat, are of a beautiful velvet black; the upper part of the neck, the back, and shoulders, deep grey; the rump white; the under part of the neck, the wide breast, and to the centre of the belly, are of a fine vermilion, less bright, however, in the young than old; the blackish pen-feathers become darker towards the body; the secondaries have the outer edge of an iron blue, which in the hinder ones is reddish. The tail is rather forked, and of a brilliant black, tinged with iron blue.
The female is easily distinguished from the male, for what is red on him is reddish grey on her, while her back is of a brownish grey, and her feet are not so black; she is also smaller.