NOTES AND QUERIES. 71 
numbers as in the present instance. M. Lacordaire, who has amassed a 
very fine collection of birds (now at Dijon), and was our best naturalist in 
Franche-Comté, has only recorded the occurrence of this bird as occasional 
in the lower part of the Department. We know, however, of a young 
sportsman who at Maiziers, Canton d'Ornans (Doubs), has just killed more 
than a hundred. Another, at Rougemont, has killed or caught more than 
forty of them in his garden, and this locality is at the opposite side of the 
Department. In short, people send them to us from all directions. Tn less 
than a week forty-two have passed through our hands. Nothing is easier 
than to tell the presence of this bird, which is a little smaller than the 
Hawfinch, and utters a similar ery. It is quite enough to look under the 
fir-trees, where a quantity of cones may be seen thrown on the ground and 
torn to pieces, the food of this bird consisting principally of the seeds of the 
fir. If it only stopped there, it would have done but half its mischief, for 
it is remarked also to attack the young fir-shoots, and often pulls them off 
when growing—a decided injury to the tree. This bird, we are told by 
authorities, comes to us from the North, the region of Conifers. It suddenly 
makes its appearance in the lower part of the Department,—one cannot 
‘tell why,—remains there a longer or shorter time, sometimes breeds there, 
and, strange to say, it is in January that it constructs its nest at the 
insertion of a fir-branch, anointing it with the resin of the tree to preserve 
it from wet. [This we should doubt.—Ep.] M. Ricond, of Chaux-de- 
Fonds, a collector of eggs, says that he has often seen the female Crossbill 
raise herself from the nest to shake off the snow. . . . - It would 
be important to be able to ascertain the limits of the invasion of these 
wandering hosts, and we shall therefore be much obliged to those who will 
be kind enough to communicate their observations to us by post-card, 
stating the presence of Crossbills in any locality, and later on if they 
remain there, and, above all, if they breed.” In reply to this request for 
information, M. Brocard adds, “I have received a number of letters telling 
me of the presence of Crossbills, principally in the East of France. One 
young sportsman has killed many at St. Etienne (Loire). By the end of 
- August they had almost disappeared. Since then a few have been killed 
casually, as in every year, but the bulk of the army has departed.” May 
not the late occurrence of Crossbills in Skye be connected with the above, 
as well as the following ;—In December, 1887, five were seen here at 
Cappagh. In January and February I heard of five separate occurrences 
in Co. Cork, chiefly near Mallow and Doneraile, and on April 6th I received, 
in the flesh, one of two Crossbills met with near Cappoquin, Co. Waterford. 
On November 13th ult., I saw four Crossbills feeding on the cones of larch 
here.—R. J. Ussurr (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). 
[Flocks of Crossbills were noticed at Keston, Kent, in October, and a 
young one having been picked up dead, it was inferred that a pair had 
