The Crossbill (JLoxia curvirostra, L.) i7i Irela^id. 7 



bills building about the middle of February, and had found 

 four nests, two of which contained young birds, on the loth 

 March ; and, though none of these seem to have escaped, 

 there were many young birds in the plantation about ist May. 

 Twenty or more used to be seen at a time until the middle of 

 summer, when they all left (^Zoologist, 1868, p. 1133). 



Up to this, though Crossbills had been occasionally noticed 

 to breed, they do not seem to have remained ; but Sir Victor 

 Brooke, writing to me in August, 1890, said — "The Crossbill 

 settled in Fermanagh long before 1888 — certainly nearly ten 

 years ago;" and in March, 1891, he stated that it breeds there, 

 and has been numerous within the last twelve years. I re- 

 ceived, in 1 89 1, statements from several counties, chiefly in 

 lycinster, to the effect that Crossbills have been established 

 there for several years, that they are seen, both young and old, 

 at different seasons of the year, and, in most cases, that, my in- 

 formants have no doubt, they breed. Mrs. Croasdaile places 

 their advent into Queen's Co. as far back as September, 1886. 

 Dr. Donovan saw them at Glandore, West Cork, all through 

 1887 and 1888. Mr. Patten, of Bray, mentions loth July, 1888, 

 as the date when he observed the first flock of about twenty-five, 

 old and young. In that year, Mr. Kane heard that a pair fre- 

 quented a demesne in Westmeath, and had haunted the place 

 for four years previously; while Captain D'Arcy-Irvane, speak- 

 ing of Fermanagh, Col. Cooper, of Co. Sligo, Mrs. Battersby, 

 of Westmeath, Dr. Benson, of the adjoining parts of Dublin 

 and Wicklow, and Mr. Digby, of King's Co., all mention the 

 increase of the Crossbill in their districts of late years, and ex- 

 press their conviction that it breeds therein. . The occurrence 

 of Crossbills has also been reported to me from Donegal, 

 lyOndonderr}^ Down, and Gahvay, and Mr. E. Williams notes 

 them also from Tipperar>^, Cavan, and Edenderry. In 1888, 

 Mr. de Vismes Kane, being at Monkstown, Co. Cork, was shown 

 a tree in which Crossbills were said to have nested that season. 



In June and July, 1888, a remarkable migration of Crossbills 

 into Western Europe took place. The}" were observ^ed at 

 Heligoland in June, at lighthouses and lightships and the 

 coast, east side of England, and in the Hebrides, in July (ZooL, 

 1888, p. 349). About the same time they invaded eastern France 

 {ZooL, 1889, p. 70). This should be borne in mind in con- 

 nection with their increase in Ireland ever since 1888, and 

 their settlement in localities where they were previously 

 unknown. 



My first record of Crossbills here at Cappagh, was that of 

 five, seen by my men, drinking at the stream below this house, 

 on the 26th December, 1887. Several were shot near Cloyne, 

 Mallow, and Doneraile, during January and February', 1888 ; 

 and on the 6th April I received one from Cappoquin, five miles 

 from here. On the 13th November, I made my first acquaint- 

 ance with these birds feeding in n\y plantations, and they have 



