n 

 Geographical Races. 



a. English Crossbill, L. cur\-irostra anglica Hart. 



Eggs: Hewitson, I. Ed. I, pi. CXXXV; 11. Ed. I, pi. XL VI, fig. 2. 



L. curvirostra L. (partim). Newton, Dresser, and Saunders 1. c. (p. 75). 

 L. curvirostra anglica. Hartert, Yog. Pal. Fauna, p. 119. 



Breeding Range: Erratically in England; probably it is tbis race 

 wbicb breeds in tbe wooded parts of Ireland. [L. c. anglica is a weak 

 billed form, barely distinguishable from the ordinary continental bird.) 



Li England the Crossbill is chiefly know^i as an erratic migrant, British 

 sometimes remaining to nest for one season, and at other times for two i^^^^- 

 or three years in succession, after which it generally disappears. A few 

 pairs seem however to be permanently resident in the pine woods of N. 

 Hampshire and Surrey, and possibly in other parts also. Isolated instances 

 of breeding have been reported from many counties, and in the bleak "breck" 

 district of Norfolk Mr. F. Norgate found considerable numbers breeding in 

 the scattered pine belts in 1889. In Ireland Crossbills have apparently 

 increased in numbers since 1888, and are now known to breed in fair 

 numbers, but very locally, in most of the large coniferous woods of the 

 country. Probably nesting has also taken place in the Isle of Man. 



Norgate {Birds of Norfolk, III, p. 391) describes Norfolk nests as Nest, 

 composed of Scotch and other fir twigs and dry grass roots, lined with 

 dry grass, rabbit's felt, and occasionally a feather or two. Greenfinches 

 nests from the same locality were composed of similar materials, but the 

 extraordinary tameness of the sitting birds rendered identification easy. 

 All the nests found were built in Scotch firs, with the exception of one, 

 which was placed in an oak. In one case the tree was so small that the nest 

 could be looked into by a man standing on the ground. Many nests were 

 quite inaccessible and practically invisible from below. In Ireland Ussher 

 mentions a nest only 15 ft. from the ground on a steep slope, but describes the 

 usual height as 25 to 40 ft. The favourite nesting site is a group of old 

 Scotch firs on a hill, but larch and spruce trees are occasionally utilized. 



The usual number of eggs appears to be 4 in England, but Norgate Eggs. 

 took a clutch of 5 on April 1. In L'eland Ussher has never found more 

 than 4. The darkest spots on a series of Norfolk eggs are less black 

 than in many Scotch specimens. 



Most clutches from Norfolk were taken during the month of March Breeding 

 and the first week of April, but there is little doubt that occasionally eggs season. 

 are to be found in February; and second broods have been recorded from 

 various parts of England in June and July. In Ireland eggs are laid in 

 February or March, sometimes April, and in 1899 the young had left their 

 nests before the end of March (Ussher). 



