410 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



kindly communicated that "in the last shooting-season" several 

 crossbills were killed in that neighbourhood. 



Mr. Robert Davis, jun., of Clonmel, a very zealous and observant 

 naturalist, replied in February 1837 to a query respecting the occur- 

 rence of crossbills in that part of the country, that he had not heard 

 of them since their appearance in great numbers about the year 1802. 

 I was afterwards informed by this gentleman, that " about the 18th 

 of January 1838, a flock of these birds appeared at Ballibrado, near 

 Cahir, and five of them were killed ; they were very tame, and were 

 observed to feed like a parrot, holding the fir-cones in one claw." He 

 remarks again, that " on the 16th of August the same year, four 

 crossbills were sent me from Ballibrado, where they still continue in 

 considerable numbers. I cannot hear of their occurrence anywhere 

 else, except in the neighbouring demesne of Kilcommon"-- - " two 

 more [he continues, writing on the 12th of September] were sent 

 me since, but like the others were much damaged, as, in consequence 

 of their tameness, the person who shot them fired from too short a 

 distance. They appeared to be as follows — adult males ; males 

 passing from the red state into the adult ; young males just getting 

 a few red feathers ; and I suppose females, in the brownish- gray 

 state : from what I hear they would seem to be moulting fast." On 

 the 11th of January 1839, Mr. Davis again observes — " Crossbills 

 are still to be seen at Ballibrado, where they have been all winter, 

 and when last noticed, about a week since, appeared to have paired. 

 I am rather of opinion that they bred here last year, but it does not 

 amount to more than a surmise grounded upon their appearance so 

 early, accompanied by such a number of young, and principally from 

 the destruction of the cones of the spruce-fir having been noticed 

 throughout the year." On May 18, 1839, my correspondent, in 

 transmitting the skins of two specimens for my examination, con- 

 tinues — " from ten to twenty crossbills have remained all the winter, 

 and up to the present time at Ballibrado, but, though some search 

 was made, no nest was discovered. About five or six weeks since, 

 two or more clutches of young birds were seen accompanying the 

 old ones who were observed feeding them. The young bird I send 

 was shot in the act of taking food from an old cock ; it was sent me 

 five weeks ago [early in April] ; the other bird sent varies a little in 

 colour from most specimens, and was shot about three weeks before 

 that time. The young one had every appearance of a nestling, feet 

 soft and weak, bill not strong, and a great number of the large fea- 

 thers not fully produced*." On July 18th the same year, Mr. Davis 

 observed that the ' ' crossbills had not been noticed in their usual 

 haunts, nor, indeed, anywhere for two months back." 



* This bird is of adult size : the head, back, and rump, or whole upper 

 plumage, is yellowish green, with a dark olive centre to each feather, this 

 dark marking occupying more of the feathers anteriorly than towards the 

 tail ; the entire under plumage is yellowish-white, with an olive-brown streak 

 down the centre of eacli feather; tail and larger wing-feathers dark brown, 

 with the outer margin yellowish-green. — W. T. 



