AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 203 



as a gift from Mr. G. Bazeley, of Northampton, a jet- 

 black Bullfinch alive, with the information that it was 

 caught w^hen very young at Old Duston, in August 

 1894. I have seen many dark-coloured Bullfinches, 

 but this bird is of a pure black, throughout. 



91. CROSSBILL 



Loxia curvirostra. 



Our old Northamptonshire naturalist Morton, at 

 p. 427 of his book previously cited, writes as follows: — 

 " The Shell-Apple or Crossbill, Loxia Gesneri. This 

 bird has been shot at Fawsley, and is the only one of 

 the kind I have met with here." I have not myself 

 met with this bird in our county, but have several 

 notes of its occurrence therein from various sources. 

 The Rev. M. Berkeley, in a letter dated February 28, 

 1876, states that " the Crossbill was not uncommon 

 at Milton " ; and 1 was informed by Lady Mary 

 Thompson that several were shot there in the early 

 part of the winter of 1822-23. Mr. A. G. Elliot 

 informs me that several have been killed near Stam- 

 ford at various times. Mr. J. Hensman mentions a 

 specimen shot at Irchester, November 1866, now in 

 the Northampton Museum ; and Mr. W. L. Chapman, 

 writing in January 1881, tells me that a great number 

 of Crossbills were about Harlestone Firs some years 

 ago. A fine specimen w^as shot in the Rectory garden 

 at Tichmarsh on August 15, 1888, and is now stuffed 

 and in my collection. This bird is in the red phase 

 of plumage, and the Rev. F. M. Stopford, who shot 

 it, informs me that it had a companion, so far as he 

 could see, exactly similar to it. In July 1892, the 



