NOTES. 81 



were two to be disposed of, and after swallowing them the 

 hen bird stayed some time at the nest. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 

 [The habit of swallowing the fceces of the young is, of course, 

 common in many species, and has often been recorded, but 

 it is interesting to have definite records of this habit in various 

 species. Whether the bhd sometimes swallows and some- 

 times carries away the fceces or regularly does either should 

 be noted. — Eds.] 



LATE STAY OF A BR AMBLING IN IRELAND. 



On June 13th, 1910, near the sea coast at Ballywalter, co. 

 Down, I observed and watched at close quarters a male 

 Brambling {Fringilla rnontifringilla). It was feeding amongst 

 Chaffinches on manure by the roadside. It was very tame, 

 but was perfect in plumage, and had not been in confinement, 

 at any rate recently, I should say. 



I several times heard what I took to be another bird 

 answering the harsh, characteristic call of the bird seen. 

 This second bird was, however, some little distance away, 

 and as I could not get a view of it, I am unable to say with 

 certainty that it was another Brambling, although I am fairly 

 confident that it was one. 



This appears to be a very late date for this bird. 



J. Beddall Smith. 



[Mr. R. J. Ussher {Birds of Ireland, p. 63) has no record for 

 a Brambling later than April in Ireland. — Eds.] 



CROSSBILLS NESTING. 



In Essex. 



I HAVE already reported (Vol. III., p. 409) that two pairs 

 of Crossbills thought to be breeding were seen at Bardfield 

 {not Bradfield) at the end of March, 1910. I am now able to 

 confirm the nesting, as two nests w^ere found during April. 

 From one of these the young had flown. The other nest,, 

 although completed, was never tenanted. 



J. Beddall Smith, 



In Gloucestershire. 



I THINK it will be of interest to put on record that Crossbills 

 bred in the neighbourhood of Cheltenham this year (1910). 

 I have heard of several nests and obtained one with eggs in 

 April. It was built in a Scotch fir. Two young birds were 

 being fed by their parents in the same tree in which was the 

 nest with eggs. E. T. Clarke. 



