338 Mr. Joseph I. S. Whitaker on the 
localities, and generally for a lack of properly recorded 
observations. 
The following statistics which I have obtained regarding 
last year's Crossbill invasion are fairly ample in some few 
cases, but very meagre in others. Those from Italy I give 
at greater length than those from other countries, from 
which detailed reports have either already been published 
or will probably be so shortly. 
British Isles .—Judging from the statistics given in 
f British Birds' (vol. iii. pp. 82, 123, 162, 190-194, 
226-228), and from reports published in other periodicals 
and newspapers, the Crossbill-invasion of 1909 was fairly 
conspicuous throughout a considerable portion of our country, 
the eastern, and more particularly the south-eastern counties, 
as well as the small islands off the Scottish coasts, having 
apparently been visited by the wanderers more than other 
parts. The mainland of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the 
extreme south-western portion of England appear to have 
been the least visited by the Crossbill, although even from 
these districts a few cases of its occurrence have been 
reported, and no doubt many more have escaped notice 
and remained unrecorded. 
On the whole, it may be said that the wave of the Cross¬ 
bills' erratic migration spread practically over the whole of 
the British Islands, having been more marked in the eastern 
than in the western portion of the Kingdom. 
The first arrivals of the bird appear to have been observed 
towards the end of June, from which date onwards, through¬ 
out the summer and autumn months, the species was met 
with, in greater or lesser numbers, in most parts of our 
country. 
At Fair Isle the earliest arrivals were observed on the 
23rd of June; the numbers of birds that swarmed on this 
small island were very great, as many as 300 being seen 
some days. The same may perhaps be said of the Shetlands 
and Orkneys. 
There can be no doubt whatever that, with the exception 
