164 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



gardener at Northrepps, which considerable flock was joined 

 later in the day by two smaller ones, so that altogether he 

 estimated that there were no fewer than sixty-five Crossbills 

 round the Hill House within a radius of four hundred yards. 

 This parish is well wooded, with plenty of silver-fir, larch, and 

 Scotch, in woods a mile or so from the sea. On June 22nd he 

 counted about twenty-six, and on the 30th twenty-three. Again, 

 after an interval, fourteen more were seen at the same place on 

 Aug. 6th, and eight on Aug. 10th, and then, after a lapse of four 

 weeks, three on Sept. 10th, while on Oct. 4th five were recog- 

 nized at a point nearer to the sea. Whether the above observa- 

 tions all refer to European Crossbills, or any of them to the 

 English race, from which they have been separated by Mr. 

 Hartert, I must leave, as none were shot. The grounds on 

 which Mr. Hartert distinguishes the English Crossbill from the 

 Continental form are that the coloration is duller in both sexes, 

 and that the bill is less elongated and less pointed, but it 

 requires an expert to decide differentiations like these. 



There is no doubt that most of the Crossbills have now taken 

 their departure, but when they went is another matter, for it is 

 so much easier to register the coming of birds than their de- 

 parture. It did not seem that their numbers greatly lessened 

 before July, 1910, but September probably saw many departures. 

 On Sept. 5th a female, which may have been just going to 

 leave, was obtained by Mr. F. Eichards almost at the extremity 

 of Blakeney Point, and I learn from Mr. E. C. Arnold of the 

 presence of a small flock on Morston Marsh hedge about Sept. 

 10th, which is suggestive of immediate migration, as it is near 

 the sea. Two were also reported by Mr. A. Napier from 

 Holkam sand-hills on Oct. 23rd, close to the shore. But that 

 all the Crossbills did not go is certain, for on Dec. 20th one was 

 seen at Southacre by Mr. Daubenny, and about the same time 

 the presence of some at Castle Eising was announced by Mr. 

 Tracey, and others seen at Fritton by Mr. Buxton. 



Particulars of their nesting in the Thetford and Brandon 

 district (where Mr. Noble was the first to record niditication) 

 have been elsewhere published, and need not be repeated. In 

 quite another part of Norfolk a nest with four eggs was examined 

 by Mr. N. Tracey on March 28th, 1910, viz. near King's Lynn. 



