144 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



and Appleby ; showing the general diffusion of the flights of 

 Crossbills. I have also many notes of Crossbills shot in Furness 

 and in the heart of the Lake district, as near Keswick and 

 Windermere ; in the west of Cumberland, as near Gosforth, near 

 Cockermouth, near Wigton. The species is perhaps least often 

 met with in the neighbourhood of the Solway, a fact easily 

 accounted for by the the scarcity of suitable timber ; yet even 

 here a few Crossbills occur from time to time, as I can personally 

 bear witness. But, scarcely less noteworthy than their arrival in 

 the Lake district, is the almost complete departure of the birds 

 within a year or two of their advent. Many of the birds that 

 appeared in the Lake district in 1888, stayed with us during 

 the summer of 1889, but scarcely any were seen in 1890, nor 

 could any be traced in 1891. T. C. Hey sham, in a draught 

 dated March 14, 1840, alluded to 'the great number of Crossbills 

 that were observed in the various parts of this [Cumberland] as 

 well as some of the adjoining counties during the months of 

 February, March, and April 1839/ In a letter written to the 

 late Mr. J. H. Gurney, dated April 1, 1840, he added : ' I have 

 every reason to believe that the Crossbill has entirely left the 

 northern counties this year ; at least I have not been able so far 

 to see or hear of a single specimen in Cumberland, Northumber- 

 land, or the south of Scotland.' In an earlier letter written to 

 John Gould, and dated July 8, 1837, Heysham states : * On 

 the 17th of June last a small flock of Crossbills was seen in a 

 fir plantation a few miles from this place, which is, I believe, 

 about the earliest period they have been observed in this 

 country.' But, pace T. C. Heysham, it seems almost certain that 

 the Crossbill is a resident in the Lake district to a limited extent. 

 Great irruptions of this species only occur at considerable inter- 

 vals of time, but a few individuals would seem to be almost 

 always present in one or other of their favourite haunts. These are 

 long stretches of pine woods, in the depths of which the presence 

 of the Crossbill might often pass undetected, were it not for the 

 cheery call-notes and lively actions of this engaging bird, which, 

 whether occupied in extracting the seeds of fir-cones, while cling- 

 ing with its strong claws, head downwards, or perching sedately 

 on a tree-top, singing and preening its bright dress, is usually so 



