NOTES. 373 



IRRUPTION OF CROSSBILLS.* 



There are further indications from the observations of some 

 correspondents that the number of Crossbills in the country, 

 although still large, has lessened while Mr. J. S. Tulloch's 

 interesting note from Shetland is direct evidence of some of 

 the birds having left the country. On the other hand, the 

 large number of birds still remaining are unlikely now to 

 leave, and many of them no doubt will be found nesting. 

 The history of previous irruptions (although none have 

 probably been so thoroughly recorded as the present one) 

 shows that the birds frequently settle down to breed here and 

 there in the spring following their arrival, but I know of no 

 authentic record of Crossbills having bred for two years 

 in succession in the same locality in England and Wales. 



I hope that the readers of British Birds will continue 

 to send in any note of (1) Nesting, (2) Increase or Decrease 

 in Numbers, (3) Arrival in New Localities or any evidence 

 connected with movements of the Crossbills. — H.F.W. 



Shetland. — " I have not seen or heard of any being seen in 

 the islands since August 21st, 1909, until February 27th, 

 1910, when I saw a flock of about six near the Knab, 

 Lerwick. The day was bright, with a light southerly 

 breeze. The cries of the birds first attracted my attention, 

 and I saw them flying from a southerly direction and 

 settle in a field. One — a cock — sat on a fence, the 

 others rested upon the ground, but not for long, but long 

 enough for me to get a good look at them with my glasses. 

 They flew T off in an easterly direction. I was told by a 

 friend of mine, Mr. Grierson, of Helendale, that he 

 saw a flock of about a dozen on the same afternoon " 

 (John S. Tulloch). 



Bedfordshire. — " Whenever I go out purposely (at Woburn) 

 to look for Crossbills, I still (March 2nd) find them. On 

 February 10th I visited a small wood of only a few 

 acres, in which I found at least a dozen on one lot of 

 larches, and between thirty and forty farther on. On 

 the 18th, in a walk of about two hours, I saw flocks of 

 about a dozen, five, and thirty. Since then I have seen 

 one pair quite by themselves, which I hoped might be a 

 breeding pair, but I was unable to find them again. 

 Stewart Stout, Mr. Eagle Clarke's late bird- collector in 

 Fair Isle, who is very well acquainted with them, 



* For previous references to this subject, sea pp. 82, 123, 162, 190-4, 

 226-8, 258-261, 303-6, 331-3. 



