340 COMMON CROSSBILL. 



make in some places upon the crop of apples, by 

 splitting the fruit in search of the pips or seeds. 

 Mr Yarrell has been at pains to search out some 

 of the earlier records, and from him we learn 

 that they were noticed in I'2o4 and 1593, parti- 

 cularly in the latter year, on account of the 

 above mentioned havoc in the orchards. Since 

 these records, similar observations have been 

 made ; and at various intervening periods, up to 

 the present time, flocks have been seen in Eng- 

 land, Wales, and Scotland, frequenting some 

 particular locality ; of later years these appear- 

 ances have either become more frequent, or the 

 attention which is given to ornithology, with 

 the numerous periodicals, &c. to which the 

 occurrence of such flocks is communicated, has 

 made them appear so. We are, however, inclined 

 to believe the former, and in the south of Scot- 

 land, at least, where an immense extent of young 

 pine timber has been planted, within thirty years, 

 the Crossbill has undoubtedly become more 

 common, and we know now remains through the 

 year. Since 1829 and 1830, scarcely a year has 

 passed without the English border and the 

 southern counties of Scotland, being visited by 

 flocks of Crossbills. In our own vicinity they 

 were, however, rare, the first birds having been 

 seen in 1836 ; next year, at the commencement 

 of winter, a small flock appeared, and continued 

 for some months ; and in the November follow- 

 ing, (1838,) a party of from fifty to seventy 

 returned, and have been seen every week up to 



