306 BRITISH BIRDS. 



EARLY ARRIVAL OF THE CHIFFCHAEF IN 

 SHROPSHIRE. 

 A CHIFFCHAFF {Phylloscopus Tujus) was heard at Petton Park, 

 eight miles north of Shrewsbury on March 13th, 1912. The 

 following day one was heard in Shrewsbury and another at 

 Dowles near Bewdley. I have kept records for the last fifteen 

 years and find the average date of arrival in Shropshire is 

 March 27th. The earliest previous record was March 20th, 

 1910. H. E. Forrest. 



CROSSBILLS IN WARWICKSHIRE AND 

 STAFFORDSHIRE. 

 On December 24th, 1911, I watched for some time, in a small 

 larch plantation at Hampton-in-Arden, a party of six Cross- 

 bills {Loxia c. curvirostra) , and on the folloAving morning (25th) 

 they were again present in the same numbers. I was informed 

 that one of a party of five had been shot whilst feeding in 

 some Scotch pines, about three-quarters of a mile away. I 

 was fortunate enough to secure this specimen, which was an 

 adult male. The birds were not seen after the morning of 

 the 25th. 



Very few Crossbills appear to have visited Warwickshire 

 during the irruption of 1909-10, and previous to this there 

 appear to be less than half a dozen records of its occurrence 

 in the county. A. Geoffrey Leigh. 



As the status of the Crossbill in Staffordshire is not well 

 known, it may be of interest to record that one was seen on 

 April 8th, 1911, near Stretton, and two on April 9th, but 

 they were not observed again until July 31st, when some 

 were heard, Avhile on the next day two were seen. On 

 December 7th one was shot out of a flock of twenty near 

 Gnosall, and the keeper there stated that about a hundred had 

 been near there for some time. On January 3rd, 1912, I 

 saw nine near Chatwell, on the 11th five at Woodcote, and 

 on the 26th four were seen at Stretton. It seems probable 

 that these birds were migrants and were not connected with 

 the great irruption of 1909-10. F. A. Monckton. 



THE FACIAL FEATHERS OF THE ROOK. 



A PET Rook [Corvus frugilegus) which came into my possession 

 early in May, 1910, died early in January, 1912, and as I had 

 taken note of its changes of plumage up to date, it is rather 

 disappointing that it did not live to become adult. It had 

 almost complete liberty, and until a short time before death 

 kept itself in excellent condition. 



