5 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



is more gregarious than in summer, though even during the latter season Seebohm 

 tells us that " small parties of males may be seen seeking food in company. They 

 are very early breeders ; and fresh eggs are usually found in February and March. 

 Eggs have been taken in April and May ; but these are probably laid by birds 

 whose first nests have been destroyed by their numerous enemies, or by heavy 

 falls of snow, and are not second broods, as some ornithologists have supposed. 

 If these birds are successful in rearing a brood, the family party appear at once 

 to commence their gipsy life. If they meet a similar family-party, they appear to 

 fraternise at once, and form the nucleus of a flock, which is sometimes seen far 

 from home as early as June, wandering in search of food. It is a very pretty 

 sight to see these flocks feeding upon the berries of the mountain-ash,* or stripping 

 the larch or spruce trees of their cones. In winter they are exceedingly tame, and 

 will allow the observer to approach very near and watch them without showing 

 any signs of alarm. They are very active, and when busily engaged in feeding, 

 place themselves in all sorts of positions, like a Tit or a Willow- Wren. The}' 

 pass from tree to tree with strong but undulating flight, continually calling to each 

 other. In late winter or early spring the males have a low warbling song, which 

 reminds one somewhat of that of the Starling. The female is said also to sing 

 nearly as well as the male." (Hist. British Birds, Vol. II, pp. 32-33). 



I have never heard the Crossbill sing, but should imagine that it would not 

 differ greatly from that of the so-called " Pine Grosbeak" (when recording probably; 

 for hitherto I have only heard the latter utter a little bubbling chirrup, consisting 

 of six or eight notes) : in any case it must be a poor song, if we are to trust 

 the judgment of our musical friends the Germans. 



The call-note, and the only note which I ever heard proceed from the beak 

 of the Crossbill, is chip, chip; chip, chip; chip, chip; repeated incessantly, from 

 morning to night, with the monotonous regularity of a pendulum : but Seebohm 

 declares that the bird sometimes says tsup, or tsop ; in which I think he must have 

 allowed his imagination to lead him astray, as it certainly has when he likens the 

 cry to those of Chaffinches and Linnets. 



The horizontal branch of a fir near the trunk, or at a distance from the trunk, 

 or the forking branches of a pine, sometimes not more than five feet from the 

 ground, are occasionally selected as building sites ; but it is stated that apparently 

 the favourite position is almost at the top of the tree, in the centre of the forking 

 branches which thus form a sort of frame in which to support it. The nest itself 

 is built after the pattern of that of the Bullfinch, a foundation of twigs of Scotch 



* Hardly so early as June though, for 1 do not remember to have seen these berries really ripe before the 

 first week in August. A.G.B. 



