May, 1916. 
1915 
The Irish Naturalist. 
69 
THE CROSSBILL IN CO. TIPPERARY. 
BY C. J. CARROLL. 
Crossbills {Loxia c. curvirostra) were noticed in Ireland more 
than 200 years ago, but none were recorded from Co. Tipperary 
until August, 1801, when "vast flights" visited this and other 
southern counties. They remained about two months, and chiefly 
frequented orchards, where they fed on apple-pips. Next, in 
1838-9, a correspondent of Thompson mentioned a small flock 
which stayed through two nesting seasons at Ballybrado, South 
Tipperary, and young were produced. Probably Crossbills bred 
again after the invasion in 1888, the time they settled down in so 
many parts of Ireland. A flock which Mr. Ellison met with near 
Clonmel were actually in Co. Waterford, but Mr. E. Williams 
noted Crossbills from Tipperary, and Mr. Johnstone informs me 
of some which occupied a fir grove near Templemore in 1889 and 
evidently nested there. I can refer to others, which, however, 
were nomadic, and this brings us to the invasion of 1909. In 
that year Crossbills arrived in two portions of the Galtee 
Mountains, Co. Tipperary, and, nesting there the following year, 
have done so ever since. Others, doubtless attributable to that 
invasion, were seen wandering around. Thus, early in April, 
1910, I met with a pair near Fethard, which is over twenty-five 
miles from the Galtee colony. Again, on December 20th, 1911, 
three were outside my demesne wall, and on January 5th, 1912, 
thirteen were feeding here, some red males amongst them. In 
each case they only remained a few days, and none were seen 
here afterwards. But in 1912 a flock were noticed near Bansha, 
where they remained until timber-felling caused them to disappear. 
Now, to return to the main breeding colony. I found on 
investigation in 1910 that they occupied part of the extensive 
conifer woods which clothe the lower slopes of the Galtee 
Mountains. A nest there on March 29th was 55 feet up, at the 
top of a bare-limbed Scotch Pine standing in a rather open 
portion of the wood. The four fresh eggs were long and pointed, 
with a few dark spots clustered around the large ends. Both 
birds were tame and demonstrative, the cock being particularly 
