96 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
I think, that Mr. Witherby's interpretation of the fact& 
regarding the status of the Common Crossbill in other 
parts of the British Isles apphes equally here. Thus 
Sir WiUiam Jardine's account of the Crossbills appearmg 
in July, 1837, and staying on (although apparently not 
nesting) until 1839, should be read in conjunction with 
the well-recorded fact that "irruptions" of the bird 
from the Continent occurred in the autumns of 1837 and 
1838 and that there were several nesting-records in England 
in the springs of 1838 and 1839. Thomas MaxweU says 
that they first came to Dalswinton also about 1837 and there 
they appear to have settled down for some years but seem 
to have left or died out in 1878. In 1887-1888, however, 
the bird reappeared at Dalswinton and bred there ; again 
we find that there were great movements of CrossbiUs from 
the Continent to the British Isles in the winters of 1887-188& 
and 1888-1889 and that the bird nested in new districts in 
Ireland in 1888 and in Norfolk, Suffolk and Berkshire m 
1889. Three specimens shot at Dalswinton during the 
period in which CrossbiUs were resident there and now in 
the possession of Mrs. Maxwell, have been examined by 
Mr. Witherby and myself and found to be of the Continental 
race and not of the Scottish form (vide infra). 
We may conclude, therefore, that the Common Crossbill 
is not indigenous to our county but that it is a somewhat 
irregular immigrant from the Continent in the early autumn, 
often staying through the winter and occasionaUy for a 
considerable time without nesting; and further that it 
settled down and bred for some years in one locahty— 
Dalswinton— at all events ; that it died out in that locality 
and subsequently reappeared and bred again only to dis> 
appear once more. . 
It should be noted that the CrossbiU nests very early m the 
year, usuaUy in February or March; and that for this reason 
its nest may have been overlooked. The young, however, 
which would be flying in April are not so likely to have 
escaped notice. 
