CROSSBILL 89 



^ CROSSBILL. Loxia curvirostra, Linnseus. PI. 11, figs. 

 * 7, 8, 9. Length, 6 in. ; wing, 3*75 in. ; tarsus, 0*6 in. 



Generally, but erroneously, regarded as a winter 

 visitant, being, in fact, a spring and autumn migrant. 

 Many instances are on record of its nesting in 

 England, as, for example, in Northumberland and 

 Durham (Hancock), Cumberland (Hope), York 

 (Hewitson), Leicester (Harley), Suffolk (Sheppard 

 and Whitear), Bedford (Shelton), Herts (Bond), 

 Middlesex (Harting), Essex (Doubleday), Kent (Jell), 

 Surrey (Hewitson), Sussex (Borrer), Hants (Lew- 

 cock), Gloucester (Hewitson), Devon (Hall Jordan), 

 Somerset (Crotch). 



To these nesting records published in the 

 former edition of this " Handbook " may be added 

 the following : — Saffron Walden (Clarke, Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., 1837, p. 166). Yorkshire, at Boynton, near 

 Bridlington ; at Bramham ; at Plumpton, near Har- 

 rogate, and at Gilling in Ryedale (Clarke and Roe- 

 buck). Leicester (Revs. A. and H. Mathews, Field 

 Calendar, Report, 1872). Suffolk (Norgate, Trans. 

 Norf. Soc, iv. p. 168). Devon (Matthew, " SuppL 

 Birds, Devon," 1895, p. 13). Somerset (Bath), the 

 young received by Bullock {Zool., 1843, p. 39). 



In Scotland the Crossbill nests regularly in 

 several counties. 



In Ireland some were turned out in Co. Sligo 

 by Col. Cooper {Zool, 1879, p. 425). Mr. Ussher 

 took a nest with four eggs at Cappagh, Co. Water- 

 ford, March 23, 1889, now in British Museum, and 



