76 THE! ZOOLOGIST. 



two rare birds of strange and wandering habits — Pallas's Sand Grouse and 

 the Crossbill. Crossbills for the last two years have been found generally 

 dispersed over Ireland, and, in a few instances, have been found breeding. 

 No doubt they have nested also in many instances unobserved. Of this 

 fact I have met with distinct proof. On June 10th last, just outside the 

 town of Clonmel, but on the Co. Waterford side of the river Suir, I met 

 with a considerable flock of Crossbills, nearly all young birds just fledged, 

 in striped brown plumage, feeding on the catkins of some large elm trees. 

 There seemed to be three or four family parties, the parents with the 

 young, and these had no doubt been reared not far away. Afterwards 

 I observed some of the birds again on the Tipperary side of the river. On 

 July 28th a large number of Crossbills appeared suddenly at Shillelagh, 

 Co. Wicklow — the first time I have found them in this locality. These 

 appeared to be in almost all stages of plumage, some red, others gold, but 

 the majority in the striped brown of the young bird. One which I shot 

 was a fine male, very brilliantly coloured : wings and tail black, with faint 

 greenish borders ; throat, breast, and sides bright orange-gold ; head, back, 

 and upper tail-coverts golden yellow, with orange reflections on head and 

 tail-coverts, and a tendency to olive on the back and shoulders. I leave it 

 to naturalists of greater experience to tell the age of this specimen. The 

 actions of these birds, whilst feeding are very amusing. The loud cracking 

 of the fir-cones, split open by their powerful beaks, is audible to a con- 

 siderable distance, while the birds themselves are usually quite invisible 

 among the thick pine-branches, where they cling very closely, and are not 

 easily disturbed. The ripe cone is wrung from the tree by a twist of the 

 beak and then grasped tightly under the claws, while with the tongue and 

 crossed mandibles the bird extracts the seeds. I noticed that the birds 

 bite off numbers of the green cones and let them drop to earth, perhaps 

 merely to remove them out of the way. The rattling of these among the 

 branches, and on the ground as they fall, often leads to the discovery of the 

 flock. Though generally silent while feeding, these birds are very noisy 

 on the wing, and their loud, rattling call, " chick, chick, chickup," is not 

 likely to be forgotten when once heard. I frequently heard the males 

 utter a short song, not unlike that of the Greenfinch, but louder — sometimes 

 on the wing. Their restless actions, — climbing, clinging attitudes when 

 feeding, chattering twitter, and predilection for fir-trees,— all remind one 

 strongly of the Siskin. They have remained about this place since their 

 first appearance, and, being undisturbed, will very probably stay to breed at 

 the beginning of spring, as from the abundance of spruce and Scotch fir, 

 this district is eminently suited for them. — Allan Ellison (Shillelagh, 

 Co. Wicklow). 



Montagu's Harrier breeding in Suffolk.— Two pairs of these birds 

 frequented Scott's Hall Estate (Westleton) last season. One pair nested 



