78 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1922. 



On sunny days in the late winter and very early spring the 

 cocks sing in a particularly bright and lively fashion, generally 

 from the extreme top of a very tall tree, but often from a dead branch 

 within a few feet of the ground. The song, which is sometimes 

 accompanied by a passionate shaking or even flapping of the 

 wings after the fashion of a Starling, is a little difficult to describe, 

 but at once proclaims itself to the practised ear. It has a number 

 of curious, soft, at times almost inaudible phrases, reminiscent of 

 the Bullfinch or the Starling, into which from time to time a few 

 loud and not unmusical notes are somewhat oddly interjected, the 

 effect of the whole being curiously pleasing and attractive. 



The alarm note, which is absolutely unique and unmistakable, 

 is extraordinarily penetrating, and can be heard from an immense 

 distance. It consists of a clear, metallic and insistent " Chip-chip- 

 chip," rapidly and frequently uttered, and at the nest deeper 

 and more intense. Once heard, this note of the Crossbill can never 

 be mistaken or forgotten. 



The Crossbill is extremely fond of water in every sense of the 

 term ; it drinks continually, and even on the bitter January days, 

 when only the tiniest spaces are free from ice, will wash vigorously 

 and with obvious enjoyment over and over again. 



Although I have on two occasions seen young just out of the 

 nest, and on a third young almost fully fledged before January 20, 

 I have never personally found a nest in that month. The earliest 

 nest I have ever found was on February 10, 1910, which contained 

 four considerably incubated eggs. On February 16 in the same 

 year I found a second nest with five eggs — a very rare clutch — 

 these eggs being quite fresh. On February 23, 1919, I found three 

 nests containing two, one and three eggs respectively, the last- 

 mentioned being on the point of hatching. On February 19, 1921, 

 I found a nest with three eggs which were chipped for hatching, 

 and on the same day watched a hen Crossbill building, the nest 

 being about half-finished. On February 24, 1922, I had a message 

 from a keeper that he had found a nest with four eggs on which 

 the bird was sitting hard, but on visiting this nest on the following 

 day I found that the young were hatched. Later in the day, 

 however, I found a second nest with four eggs very slightly 

 incubated. 



These are my earliest records of the nesting of the Crossbill ; 

 by far the greater number of birds under my observation have 



