SUSSEX CROSSBILLS 45 



all our really small birds are genuinely double-, and 

 a fair number triple-, brooded. Going a little fur- 

 ther in point of size, how many ornithologists are 

 aware that the Nightjar quite frequently rears two 

 families during its stay with us? I have proved 

 it conclusively. Why, then, should the Crossbill 

 be but single-brooded, more especially as it is always 

 an early, and sometimes a notoriously early, starter P 

 As a proof that it is not always so, witness those 

 nests now and then found in summer by com- 

 petent observers, the late Mr. Ussher for one, Mr. 

 Carroll for another, both in Ireland ; also the one 

 I discovered in Sussex on May 25th with fresh 

 eggs, which will be mentioned later. The fact is, 

 very few naturalists trouble to look for second 

 broods of any species which general opinion 

 generally wrong has decided must not raise more 

 than one family during the season. Old super- 

 stitions die hard. Too much faith is placed in the 

 average book, which is often written by one who 

 may well be described as a " week-ender " with 

 Nature. Give me the Willoughby Verners, the 

 Abel Chapmans, and other real field- observers who 

 have, and many others besides who have never 

 yet, put pen to paper on the subject. 



Coming now to my own experiences in the 

 matter, on May 3rd, working for part of the day 

 the same ground as on April 9th, I found, not 

 sixty yards removed from the tree where she had 

 four young virtually fledged on April 15th, a female 



