Great Invasion of Crossbills in 1909. 345 



invasion of Crossbills 'was very noticeable throughout mauy 

 districts of Lombardy, Venetia, and Emilia during the months 

 of July and August, and that considerable numbers of the 

 birds were killed or netted during the latter month, when the 

 close season had expired. The height of the passage was 

 then past, however, and the number of fresh arrivals was 

 rapidly waning, although even throughout September and 

 October a few continued to be seen. 



Out of a large number of Crossbills which had been netted 

 at Alzate, in the Brianza district, Prof. Martorelli mentions 

 having seen an example, a fine male, which in coloration and 

 marking answered to Schlegel's description of L. rubrifasciata, 

 but he seems to think that this may be merely the fully adult 

 form of L. bifasciata, of which species he had been given to 

 understand other examples had been captured in the Brianza 

 district. 



In Milan and other Italian towns it has been a common 

 sight during the past summer and autumn to see Crossbills 

 in cages. Few species adapt themselves to confinement so 

 easily as the Crossbill does. 



Count Cavazza, in the journal above mentioned, gives some 

 interesting particulars regarding the incursion of Crossbills 

 in the Emilian province, and more especially in the vicinity 

 of Bologna, where a few of the species, the vanguard of the 

 wanderers, appear to have arrived as early as the first 

 fortnight of April. These were followed by considerable 

 numbers towards the end of May, and by still larger numbers 

 about the middle of June, after which date the passage began 

 to diminish in intensity, although the birds apparently 

 established themselves in the pine-woods which are abundant 

 in that neighbourhood, and remained there for several 

 months. 



Count Cavazza points out what is, no doubt, a noteworthy 

 feature in the recent Crossbill invasion, viz., the early date 

 of its commencement, for, as a rule, the irregular visits of 

 this species to Italy are effected during the late summer and 

 autumn months. 



Speaking of the extraordinary tameness of the species, he 



