172 The Irish Naturalist. October, 191 7. 



Food of the Crossbill. 



Whether the seeds of the Spruce Fir are, in this country, ever eaten 

 by Crossbills is, it appears, still an open question. Mr. Nevin Foster 

 informs me that the spruces in which he watched a party of Crossbills 

 feeding at Hillsborough in 1909 were not the Norway Spruce {Picea excelsa) 

 but the Douglas Fir [Pseudotsuga Douglasii). It is, I think, a fact of 

 high interest that the seeds of this magnificent American conifer have a 

 place in the Crossbill's menu. It shows, for one thing, a considerable 

 adaptability on the bird's part to new conditions, as the Douglas Spruce 

 cannot have been familiar to it as a wild tree in any part of its range as 

 an Old World species. But this increases the singularity of its conduct 

 in systematically neglecting the cones of the Norway Spruce in this country, 

 if, as has been stated, the same tree in other countries affords it its staple 

 fare. 



C. B. INIOFFAT. 



Ballyhyland, Co. W^cxford. 



The Effect of the 1916-17 Winter on Birds. 



With reference to Mr. Moffat's extremely interesting article in the June 

 issue I can corroborate some of his observations as also applying to Co. 

 Fermanagh, even though we were just east of the severe snow belt. By 

 the way that belt reached right up to the coast line of Sligo, where the 

 road fences were obliterated. I have not seen or heard a single Golden- 

 crested W^ren this year. I used to have several pairs nesting round 

 my own house, and the county is generally full of them. It will be 

 very interesting to see how the bird recovers from this devastation. I 

 also always had a couple of pairs of Long-tailed Tits, and they were 

 pretty common in the county. I have not seen any. Neither have I 

 seen any Stonechats, though we generally have a sprinkling, especially 

 at one regular site where I expect them. The Thrushes are very 

 remarkably thinned, though the Blackbirds seem as numerous and 

 troublesome as ever. Of course everyone knows of the mortality among 

 Lapwing and Redwing, and has heard of their feeding in town streets. 

 Mr. Moffat mentions the at least usual numbers of Snipe in the early 

 spring. Curiously enough I had made a note of their extraordinary 

 numbers here— extraordinary at least judging by the noise they made 

 over all suitable snipe-ground. In addition to Mr. Moffat's list, the 

 Grasshopper Warbler did not arrive here at all. If this be true elsewhere 

 it is strange seeing it is a late arrival. I can always count on three or 

 four pairs nesting not far from me, and on hearing many more over the 

 county, especially on arrival. Their absence has been corroborated by 

 Mr. H. E. Rathborne at another favourite locality in the county. 



T. P. BURKITT. 



Fnniskillen; 



