8 The Irish Nahiralist. 



ever since then remained, and bred 3'ear after 3"ear. Their 

 appearance, a thing now of common occurrence ever^'- month 

 in the year, has become exceedingly familiar. Indeed I know 

 no bird of its size that attracts notice more quickly than the 

 Crossbill, when it is once known. Though its flight is usually 

 above the level of the tree-tops, its loud, rattling call-note 

 makes one look out for it when almost out of sight. Its mode 

 of fl3'ing, too, is peculiar. It alternatel}" strikes out fully with 

 a strong vibration of its wings, and, closing them, it sinks a 

 little, to recover itself again b}^ another effort of its wings, thus 

 performing a series of measured undulations in its course from 

 hill to valley, or from wood to wood. Its large round head, 

 with a distinct neck, is often distinguishable when it is perched 

 at some distance, and its singular beak gives it the appearance 

 of holding something in its mouth. I look on the reds and 

 greens of Crossbills' plumage, as protective colouring. On the 

 8th Februar}', I was attracted by the notes of a Crossbill re- 

 cording, when, peering into the branches of the Scotch firs, 

 I found that the bird was sitting unconcernedl}', quite near 

 me, its russet plumage corresponding with the ruddy hue of 

 the bark. 



A flock of Crossbills feeding is described b}^ Mr. Ellison, who 

 met with them in this county, near Clonmel, in June, 1889, 

 and near Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow, the following month {^Zool- 

 ogist, 1889, p. 76). 



I quote the following from my own journal, 26tli November, 

 1889 — "About II a.m. I saw sixteen circling about over the 

 plantations on the hills (Cappagh), and finally alighting on the 

 tops of larch at the edge of a grove. At first, several remained 

 like sentinels on the tree-tops, but soon all were bus}^ among the 

 branches, twisting open the cones. I crept close to these trees, 

 w^hile the Crossbills, after satisf3'ing themselves on one tree, 

 flew" by ones and twos to a tree nearer to me. In the sunshine 

 I could see several red birds, and others that were yellow-green. 

 The busy and happ3^ appearance of these Crossbills, their 

 bright colours and curious beaks and attitudes, were a sight to 

 delight any lover of nature. One bird went to work on a cone, 

 to which he had to bend, with his head down under the twig 

 he was on, each time he extracted a seed. Another bird would 

 fly from tree to tree, carr3'ing a cone in its beak, and then 

 would hold it on a branch with its foot, while picking it to bits. 

 They w^ere all life, fluttering, feeding, and crying, *' gip, gip " 

 occasionall5\ Suddenly, of their own accord, the}' took wing 

 to perform one of their airv^ dances, all uttering their loud call- 

 note. Their flight at such times is much more measured than 

 that of other finches. They seem to luxuriate in it, and to 

 beat time b}' the successive impulses of their wings. It is 

 strange to watch one of these large Crossbills go far out on a 

 swa^nng spraj" of larch (perhaps, head downwards), bite off a 

 cone, carry it to a more steady part of the branch to dissect it, 



