310 BREEDING OF THE CROSSBILL IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 



SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 



Breeding of the Crossbill in Gloucestershire. — On the 13th 

 of this month (April) as I was passing by a plantation of 

 larch and Scotch firs, the note- of the crossbill attracted my 

 attention, (having been from home all the winter I had sup- 

 posed that these birds had left), and on looking up, I observed 

 an old bird, that appeared much disturbed at my presence. — 

 Presently another bird flew into the same tree, which, from 

 its mottled plumage and difficult flight, I concluded was a 

 young one. There was a nest at the spot from which this 

 bird flew, and there appeared to be another bird in it. I left 

 them for a short time, and, on returning, both the old birds 

 were in the tree, and one of them was in the act of feeding 

 the young bird, which fluttered its wings on being fed. 



The next day I again visited the tree ; the old birds fled 

 on my approach, and not being able to see the young bird, I 

 concluded that it had either been enticed away by the parents, 

 or that it was in the nest. On climbing up to the nest, how- 

 ever, I found it deserted; it was placed in the fork of a Scotch 

 fir, about 20 feet from the ground, and 4 feet from the extre- 

 mity of the branch. The exterior of the nest was composed 

 of dead larch and spruce twigs, within which it was formed 

 of dead grass, and some tender dry stalks of plants, rendered 

 warm and compact with wool ; and the whole was lined with 

 horse-hair. 



The edge of the nest, on one side, was completely plaster- 

 ed over with the fceces of the young birds or bird, for I am 

 inclined to think there was only one reared. I could not dis- 

 cover, either in the nest or on the ground, any remains of eggs. 

 The nest had all the appearance of being just deserted : its 

 diameter was 5 J inches, its depth 2 inches within, and mea- 

 sured 3 inches across the concavity. I have preserved it as 

 a specimen. 



We have had the crossbills in considerable numbers for the 

 last two years ; they feed solely on the seeds of the larch, as 

 those of the spruce fir do not come to perfection here. These 

 birds have been accused of attacking the apple-orchards in 

 France ; in 1837 that fruit was very abundant close to a plan- 

 tation where they were constantly at work, and yet they never 

 touched it. 



P.S. — I have again witnessed the old bird feeding the 

 young one. — J. Brown. — Cotswold Hills ; April, 1839. 



