OTES 



ARE STARLINGS DOUBLE- OR SINGLE-BROODED? 



The question whether the StarUng breeds more than once 

 in the year (c/. supra, p. 337) has long been a matter of 

 controversy, and many letters and much contradictory 

 evidence on the subject will be found in the Naturalist, 

 1889, pp. 112, 366, etc., the Zoologist, 1903, p. 390, etc. 

 Although many pairs are undoubtedly single-brooded, I have 

 long been convinced that some breed twice, and a nesting-box 

 within a few yards of my window at Ashburne, Derbyshire, 

 has held two broods in each season for four years past. The 

 nesting-material Avas throA^-n out within a few days of the 

 time when the first brood flew, and on one occasion, when 

 a single young bird remained for some time in the nest after 

 the rest had gone, cleaning out began the day after it left. 

 I did not ring these birds, but two years ago one of the pair 

 lost a feather or two from one wing, which rendered it 

 recognizable, and careful watching convinced me that this 

 bird was in attendance on both broods. 



F. C. R. JOURDAIN. 



CROSSBILLS BREEDING IN NORFOLK 

 AND SHROPSHIRE. 



On March 8th, 1913, in Norfolk I saw a nest of a Crossbill 

 {Loxia c. curvirostra), with four eggs, which had been taken 

 on March 1st, and a nest with young about nine days old. 

 On March 16th the former pair had built a second nest and 

 had laid four eggs. One other pair appeared to be nesting 

 in the vicinity, but this I failed to find. 



In 1911 I saw seven nests of Crossbill in this immediate 

 neighbourhood — two nesting pairs in 1913 being in the same 

 belts of trees respectively as in 1911. In 1910 and 1912, I am 

 informed on quite reliable authority that Crossbills also bred 

 in this same vicinity — in 1910 abundantly, and in 1912 some 

 four or five nests Mere found. 



On March 24th, 1913, Mr. D. H. Meares and I found a 

 Crossbill just commencing to build at Grinshill, north Shrop 

 shire. We spent some hours watching the female building 

 and breaking off dead pine twigs from adjacent trees for the 

 outer structure. The male visited the nest once. On 25th 

 the nest had advanced considerably, and she was gathering 

 nesting-materials from the ground. 



