PINE GROSBEAK. COMMON CROSSBILL. 235 



it seem to consist of a statement by Messrs. Paget, 

 in their " Sketch of the Natural History of Yarmouth," 

 '^That a flight of these birds were observed on Yar- 

 mouth Denes in November, 1822 ;" and the fact of a 

 pair having been shot at Raveningham, in the act of 

 building, as noticed by Messrs. Gurney and Fisher, 

 in their "Birds of Norfolk" (Zoologist, p. 1313). 

 Mention is also made by the latter authors of a pair 

 which were said to have built and laid four eggs in a 

 fir-tree, near Bungay (Suffolk) ; but in a subsequent 

 note, a doubt is expressed as to the accuracy of tliis last 

 account, from a comparison of the eggs then taken 

 with foreign specimens. Mr. Lubbock also in his 

 " Fauna" remarks — " A pair are now preserved in Yar- 

 mouth, shot near that place, and which are said to 

 have had a nest, which was unfortunately destroyed." 

 This latter record, as I have recently ascertained from 

 Mr. Lubbock, was communicated to him by the late Mr. 

 Girdlestone, of Yarmouth, and he is also inclined to 

 believe, with me, that the pair of birds here alluded. to, 

 are those entered in the sale catalogue of Mr. Miller's 

 collection, but which, with other rarities dispersed at 

 the same time, are probably no longer in existence. 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA, Linnaeus. 



COMMON CROSSBILL. 



This singular and most interesting species is a 

 frequent but very uncertain visitant, appearing gene- 

 rally in severe weather, and occasionally in considerable 

 numbers. Of late years I have notes of their appear- 

 ance in 1853-4-5 and 6, and again in 1860-1 and 2; 

 but with the exception of the winters of 1853-4, and 

 1861, the specimens obtained were very few, . and those 

 2h2 



