THE CROSSBILL. 205 



they do come, it is generally in considerable numbers, and at no par- 

 ticular time of the year. An old manuscript, quoted by Mr. Yarrell, 

 seems to be the earliest record of their appearance; it runs as follows : 

 "That the yeere 1593 was a greate and exceeding yeere of apples; and 

 there were greate plenty of strang birds, that shewed themselves at 

 the time the apples were full rype, who fedde uppon the kernells onely 

 of those apples, haveinge a bill with one beake wrythinge over the other, 

 which would presently bore a greate hole in the apple, and make way 

 to the kernells; they were of the bignesse of a Bullfinch, the henne 

 right like the henne of the Bullfinch in coulour; the cocke a very glori- 

 ous bird, in a manner al redde of yellowe on the brest, backe, and head. 

 The oldest man living never heard or reade of any such like bird; and 

 the thinge most to be noted was, that it seemed they came out of some 

 country not inhabited; for that they at the first would abide shooting 

 at them, either with pellet, bowe, or other engine, and not remove till 

 they were stricken downe and killed with often throweing at them with 

 apples. They came when the apples were rype, and went away when 

 the apples were cleane fallen. They were very good meate." The next 

 account is from an old work on "The Natural Rarieties of England, 

 Scotland, and Wales:" "In Queen Elizabeth's time a flock of Birds came 

 into Cornwall about harvest, a little bigger than a Sparrow, which had 

 bils thwarted crosswise at the end, and with these they would cut an 

 apple in two at one snap, eating onely the kernels; and they made a 

 great spoil among the apples/' There are many records of these birds 

 visiting the British Isles since the periods previously alluded to. In 

 June and July, 1791, a hundred pair were captured at Bath, and sold 

 for about five shillings each. A flock was observed in a clump of fir 

 trees at Penllergare, in Glamorganshire, in the winter of 1806. In the 

 latter end of the year 1822 they were numerous in various parts of the 

 country, especially in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire. 

 In 1828 they appeared in Westmorland, and were again numerous in 

 many parts of England in 1829, 1833, 1834, 1837, 1838, and 1839. 



It is a remarkable fact in the history of this bird that it nestles 

 at all times of the year. The nest is usually placed in the forked 

 branches of fir or pine trees, and is loosely compacted of moss, grass, 

 and small twigs, and lined with finer moss, dry leaves, and feathers. 

 The eggs, which somewhat resemble those of the Greenfinch, are white, 

 slightly tinged with blue or green, and spotted, chiefly at the larger 

 end, with reddish or purplish brown. In April, 1839, the nest, eggs, 

 and young, found in the neighbourhood of Farnham, in Surrey, were 

 exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological Society by Mr. Charlesworth. 

 This was the first instance in which the Crossbill had been known to 



