THE 1909 IRRUPTION OF THE CROSSBILL. 329 



The male birds were noted singing by various observers, 

 from the end of February to the end of April. The 

 majority of the records of nesting are from the south- 

 eastern district already defined, but some few are from 

 further west. 



Nests were found in the following counties : — Kent 

 (many), Sussex (many), Surrey (many), Hampshire 

 (many), Berkshire (several), Essex (two), Suffolk (many), 

 Norfolk (many), Somersetshire (one), Gloucestershire 

 (several), and Staffordshire (one), while in Lincolnshire 

 a bird was seen carrying nesting-material, and in 

 Bedfordshire young birds were observed being fed. 



It appears that generally only a small proportion of 

 those present in any district nested, the others remaining 

 in flocks throughout the spring. 



DEPARTURE. 



The Crossbills departed from different districts at 

 various dates ; in some cases all had gone by the end of 

 1909 ; in other cases, they showed little or no diminution 

 till well into the summer of 1910 ; the majority of the 

 records, however, speak of the main departure as being 

 either in Februar}^ or in April and May. 



The main departures recorded took place as follows : — 



1909. Dec. — Hertfordshire, Hitchin. 



1910. Jan. — Cheshire, Alderley Edge ; Oxfordshire 



(N.W.), Corn well. 



1910. Feb.— Kent (S.W.), Edenbridge ; Hampshire 

 (N.), Basingstoke ; Suffolk, Bury St. 

 Edmunds ; Shropshire, Dowles ; Nor- 

 thumberland, Stocksfield - on - Tyne ; 

 Surrey, south-east ; Denbighshire 

 (S.E.), Llangollen. 



1910. Mar.— Surrey (N.),Banstead; Surrey (S.W.),Farn- 

 ham ; Shropshire (centre), Wenlock. 



1910. April— Kent (S.), Tenterden ; Surrey (S.E.), 

 Oxted; Berkshire (S.E.), Crow- 

 throne ; Berkshire, Reading ; Hert- 



