77 [Vol. xxv. 



range. It breeds in Sardinia and Corsica and winters in 

 N.W. Africa. It has also occurred in Madeira. The bird 

 now forms part of the collection of Mr. J. B. Nichols, who 

 has kindly lent it to me for exhibition." 



Dr. Ticehurst also exhibited an example of the Lesser 

 Kestrel (Falco cenchris, Nauru.), and made the following 

 remarks : — 



" This bird, which is an immature male, was shot by 

 myself on the Yorkshire coast in the Holderness district on 

 the 14th of October, 1909. The gizzard was full of grass- 

 hoppers, caterpillars, and beetles. The bird, which was 

 migrating in a southerly direction, attracted my attention 

 on account of its small size as compared with the other 

 Kestrels which were frequently seen. This is the tenth 

 British record and the third for Yorkshire, the first British 

 example having been obtained in ,1867 at no great distance 

 from where I shot this bird. Of the nine previous examples, 

 five were obtained in spring, three in autumn, and one in 

 February." 



Mr. H. Y. "Witherby exhibited a nestling Crossbill 

 (Loxia curvirostra) which had been procured by Mr. Heatley 

 Noble near Thetford, Norfolk, on the 12th of January, 1910. 

 A female Crossbill was observed feeding her young by a 

 labourer, who threw a stone and killed the old. bird and one 

 nestling; two other nestlings were taken alive, but sub- 

 sequently died. The nestlings were only just able to fly. 



Mr. Witherby remarked that the status of the Crossbill 

 in this country had always been somewhat puzzling. He 

 suggested that the records seemed to show that the true 

 position of the bird was as follows : — 



(1) The Scottish Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra scotica) was 

 a resident race inhabiting the northern and midland, 

 parts of Scotland, its exact range being as yet 

 undefined. This form seemed sedentary and did 



