168 MR. F. NORGATE ON CROSSBILLS NESTING IN SUFFOLK. 
I. 
CROSSBILLS I^ESTING IX SUFFOLK. 
By Frank Xorgate. 
(Communicated by The President.) 
Read 26th May, 1885 . 
About the 2nd of March, 1885, I was told of a Crossbill’s nest 
two miles from my house near Brandon. The old birds had been 
seen picking the frayed ends of a cord Avhich was strained between 
trees to dry clothes on. The Crossbills were probably lining their 
nest with the “ linen-line ” in February. 
Tliis would have been a good date to reckon from for taking a 
full clutch of eggs ten days later, one of the best egg prizes one 
could hope to take in this neighbourhood ; but I was unable to 
attend to it until the 13th of March, when I went to the spot and 
saw the nest at the top of a tall bare-stemmed Pinus sylvestris. 
Whilst standing under the tree I saw two old Crossbills fly 
into the nest together; they remained there just long enough for 
me to use a telescope, and to distinguish with its help their crossed 
mandibles as they emerged. They were probably feeding young 
ones. 
On the 21st I tried in vain to climb the tree, which was so 
shaggy with loose thin scales of bark, that it was as slippery as a 
greasy pole. 
On the 23rd I obtained an unfledged nestling Crossbill, one of 
three which were taken the day before by a boy from a nest in the 
top of an oak about a quarter of a mile from the other nest. The 
boy told me there wore three old birds at the nest, two hens and 
