< 2 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



Exmouth ; and an adult was killed at South Brent ou 1st Xovember of that 

 year. (K. P. X., in litt.) 



Mr. Henry Nicholls was walking in the Coombe Eoyal grounds on 

 June 12th, 1837, when he saw about thirty of these birds feeding on fir- 

 cones. They were very tame (MS, Xotes). Mr. W. R. Hall Jordan says 

 Crossbills were very plentiful in South Devon in the winter of 1^3^-39, 

 and on April 10th, lb3i), he saw a nest in a spruce-fir tree at Ogwell House, 

 near Xewton Abbot. The male was shot, but the female still continued to 

 attend the nest (Zool. 1843, p. 39 ; and Trans. Devon. Assoc, vi. p. 710). 

 Turton and Kingston mention that they had frequently shot specimens in 

 the neighbourhood of Ashburton during the summer months. In July 

 1848 a few appeared at Raleigh House, near Barnstaple, and remained 

 about a week on some Scotch firs. The birds were so tame that an old 

 gardener knocked some down with a stick when they were examining the 

 cones on the lower branches. Many occurred at Topsham in that year, 

 and specimens then obtained are in the A. M. M. from the collection of 

 the late Mr. lioss, who records their occurrence (MS. Journal). 



Two specimens were killed near I'lymouth by the llev. 11. A. Julian a 

 short time before Xovember 27th, 1801 (J. G., MS. Notes). Several were 

 shot on Chajjcl Hill, Torquay, in March 1807, and arc now in the Torquay 

 Museum, and some are said to have occurred about this time at Alphington, 

 near Exeter, and a male was also shot near Kingsbridge. 



There was a simultaneous immigration of Crossbills into Ireland, Corn- 

 wall, Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Gloucestershire in July 1808 (Zool. 

 1870, p. 2235). They were tolerably plentiful at Barnstaple in that 

 summer, and eight or ten were seen and three shot by Mr. A. F. Holds- 

 worth in his grounds at Widdecombe, near Kingsbridge, in July, working 

 on pine-cones (G. F. M., Zool. 1808, p. 1400 ; and K. P. N., in JitL). In 

 August a flock used to frequent the lir-trees at the Moult, near Salcorabe, 

 and eight were shot (II. P. N.). In the same month oue was shot at 

 Plymouth (P., MS. Xotes). In October a flock appeared at Stoke Canon, 

 near Exeter, and several specimens shot there are in the A. M. M. About 

 the same time another flock appeared at Chudleigh. 



In January 1809 one was obtained at Plymouth (B., MS. Notes), and 

 some occurred in March at Kingsbridge (Zool. 1809, p. 1721). In No- 

 vember 1809 Crossbills and Snow-Buntings mixed together were seen 

 flying across Lundy Island, and some of both were shot (Zool. 1877, p. 12). 

 The Common Crossbill is stated to have nested once or twice in Somerset. 



A large northern race, commonly known as the Parrot Crossbill, is an 

 accidental visitor of very rare occurrence in winter. Dr. 11. B. Sharpe 

 (Cat, Birds Brit. Mus. xii. p. 439) and other leading ornithologists con- 

 sider this bird to be merely a large stout-billed race of the Common Cross- 

 bill, " not worthy even of subspecific rank," and Mr. Howard Saunders 

 does not give it an independent place in his ' Manual.' This race inhabits 

 the pine-woods of Sc;indinavia, Northern llussia, and the Baltic provinces, 

 and rarely reaches Devonsliire, but one instance only being known. 

 !Mr. Newton is stated to have shot nine specimens near ^lillaton, Bride- 

 stowe, in 1838 (E. M,, Howe's Peramb. Dartmoor, p. 232). We have 



