126
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
Parrot Crossbill : Loxia curvirostra-pityopsittacus.
Of this very rare Scandinavian and North European form of the
Common Crossbill, no less than nine specimens have been obtained
in Essex—more, I believe, than have been met with in any other
county, except Devonshire. Although formerly separated from the
Common Crossbill, from which it differs in its varying size and larger
bill, the best authorities are now agreed in regarding it as a local
race or sub-species merely.
Mr. Joseph Clarke relates (24) that a pair formerly in the Museum at Saffron
Walden, were shot in a garden in that town about the year 1823. They were
stuffed by Travis—so he informs me. Yarrell says (25. ii. 25), " Mr, Blyth has
recorded one instance of its being shot in Surrey and a second instance of its
being obtained in the autumn of 1835, in Epping Forest."*
Doubleday says (23. 7759) :
" Three specimens of the Parrot Crossbill were killed yesterday [September
20th, 1861], at one shot, by a boy at Lambourne, about four miles from Epping
—a male in fine red plumage, another male in yellow plumage, and a female.
This is the first occurrence of this species in this neighbourhood, so far as I am
aware.† The Common and White-winged Crossbill I have shot here."
At his sale in 1871, two of these Parrot Crossbills, with a couple of Quails
were sold for 33s. to Mr. Smee. Dr. Bree writes (23. 8032) :
"Three specimens were brought to me in the flesh on the 21st of February
last [1862]. They were one male and two females, and were killed on the Lex-
den or London Road, just south of this town. * * * Their crops contained the
seeds of what I believed to be the Scotch fir. * * * I have heard of one other speci-
men having been shot, which, from its size, I should infer was this species. * * *
My specimens are rather larger than those from Sweden."
These three specimens, two in greenish-brown, and one in red plumage, are
still in the Bree Collection in Mr. Harwood's possession.
Two-barred Crossbill : Loxia bifasciata.
An exceedingly rare British bird, of which a couple of specimens
only are known to have been met with in Essex.
Yarrell says (14. suppt. ii. 20) that Henry Doubleday had favoured him with
the loan of a young bird, "shot by himself in his own garden at Epping." This
must have been between 1843, when the 2nd vol. of Yarrell's 1st. ed. was
issued, without mention of this specimen, and 1856, when the 2nd supplement
appeared. In his subsequent edition he says (30. ii. 31) Doubleday lent him
three specimens ; "one shot by himself in his garden at Epping—a young bird."
Harting (38. 116) and others seem to accept this record without question, but
Professor Newton appears to doubt it, for he says (37. ii. 213), "Somewhere
about the same time [1846], it is believed Doubleday shot a young bird in his
own garden at Epping." There does not seem to be any real ground for doubt-
ing this record, for, as may be seen above, Doubleday himself, in recording the
occurrence of the Parrot Crossbill at Epping (23. 7759), says, " The Common
and White-winged Crossbill I have shot here." No reference to this interesting
specimen occurs (so far as Mr. Macpherson and myself have been able to dis-
cover) in Doubleday's letters to Heysham (10), which cover the above date. The
specimen, however, was sold at Doubleday's sale in 1S71 (? to whom), with
seven Common Crossbills, for 36s.
* I have been unable to find Blyth'.s record here referred to.
† Doubleday evidently had overlooked, or was not aware of, Yarrell's reference to Blyth's re-
cord above mentioned.