1 92 1.] Birds of Alcudia, Majorca. 681 



them washing themselves in the pools caround the lagoons 

 near Alcudia, and in the water-courses in the hills, when 

 they so thoroughly soak themselves that they can only fly as 

 far as the nearest tree to dry and preen their feathers. 



In 1919 they had paired in the beginning of December, 

 and some were evidently building in January 1920, but I 

 did not find a completed nest until 1 April, 1920, and this 

 contained four fresh eggs. The female did not leave the 

 nest until the tree v/as struck, and the pair flew closely 

 around, chirping vigorously while the tree was being- 

 climbed. It was built in a fork of a lateral branch of a 

 small pine — a similar position to all other nests I found, — 

 and was a platform of pine twigs on which was a compact cup 

 of grass, fibre, and a little hair. The eggs were white, rather 

 faintly spotted with different shades of brown, one specimen 

 hardly showing any markings at all. 



On the same day I found three other nests being built in 

 exactly similar positions, at each of which was its pair 

 of birds ; but on 10 April I found a nest from which the 

 young had flown some weeks before, and on 2^ A})ril a 

 female with two fully-grown ones was seen feeding quite 

 tamely, low down among the small pines. Crossbills had 

 evidently nested in the district the preceding year, judging 

 by the number of old nests which were found. 



The eggs of this subspecies have not been taken before. 



During the extremely wet and unsettled winter of 1920-21, 

 Crossbills did not appear in the district until the beginning 

 of January 1921, nor did I see any in other parts of the 

 island until then. Tliey then appeared in numbers, and were 

 us plentiful as usual in all suitable localities, and commenced 

 pairing immediately. The natives say that in bad winters 

 they go to Africa. 



Obtained by v. Jordans. 



24. Emberiza calandra, Corn-Bunting. 



A resident, but not very plentiful ; a considerable increase 

 in its numbers takes |)lace from the end of January, but it 

 is generally noticed singly or in pairs. 1 took a nest with 



