82 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



CROSSBILLS BREEDING IN SHROPSHIRE. 



With reference to the Crossbill's nest at Grinshill, described 

 by Mr. C. S. Meares in Vol. VI., p. 371, I may add that 

 I subsequently paid two visits to the locality. On the 

 first occasion, although I saw no Crossbills at the nest, 

 I heard two males singing. One of them was very excited, 

 and presently he came flying overhead and alighted in a 

 tall fir tree in full view ; he was joined almost immediately 

 by a hen bird, and they were evidently about to pair when 

 something alarmed them and both flew off into the wood 

 out of sight. This pair was evidently about to nest, and 

 as there was another male singing, and the nest found by 

 Mr. Meares, it is probable that at least two, if not three 

 pairs, nested in this wood at Grinshill. H. E. Forrest. 



EIRECRESTS IN KENT. 



In 1906, I recorded in the Zoologist the appearance of a 

 pair of Firecrests {Begulus i. ignicapillus) at Tunbridge Wells, 

 where they remained at one spot from March 3rd (or earlier) 

 till April 2nd. For several years afterwards I looked for 

 them in the same place during the winter, but latterly 

 I had not looked very specially, although I think they would 

 hardly have escaped my observation if they had been present 

 any winter or spring. On December 20th, 1912, I found 

 a pair at exactly the same spot, and they were to be seen 

 there until January 10th, 1913. On January 17th I could not 

 see them, and after that time they were, not seen again, 

 although Miss Turner looked for them once or t^vice in late 

 January and February, and I spent some hours there in early 

 March on several days. It seems clear that they cannot 

 have stayed as late as the birds seen in 1906. 



I am not prepared to give an opinion on the possibility 

 of these birds being the same as in 1906. As a rule, I be- 

 lieve those birds which migrate to their winter-quarters singly 

 or in pairs, return to the same place annually to a greater 

 extent than those which are more gregarious in winter. 

 But as far as I have been able to judge from a good deal 

 of observation in this district, the conditions of a particular 

 year have some influence on the amount of migration under- 

 taken ; so that it seems to me not inconceivable that a pair 

 of Firecrests might winter further east or west for six years 

 and then come again to a place which they had visited seven 

 years before. On the other hand, if they were the same birds, 

 I am surprised that they did not stay till approximately 



