Great Invasion of Crossbills in 1909. 345 
invasion of Crossbills was very noticeable throughout many 
districts of Lombardy, Venetia, and Emilia during the months 
of July and August, and that considerable numbers of the 
birds were hilled or netted during the latter month, when the 
close season had expired. The height of the passage was 
then past, however, and the number of fresh arrivals was 
rapidly waning, although even throughout September and 
October a few continued to be seen. 
Out of a large number of Crossbills which had been netted 
at Alzate, in the Brianza district, Prof. Martorelli mentions 
haying seen an example, a fine male, which in coloration and 
marking answered to SchlegePs description of L. rubrifasciata , 
but lie seems to think that this may be merely the fully adult 
form of L. bifasciat.a, of which species he had been given to 
understand other examples had been captured in the Briauza 
district. 
In Milan and other Italian towns it has been a common 
sight during the past summer and autumn to see Crossbills 
in cages. Few species adapt themselves to confinement so 
easily as the Crossbill does. 
Count Cavazza, in the journal above mentioned, gives some 
interesting particulars regarding the incursion of Crossbills 
in the Emilian province, and more especially in the vicinity 
of Bologna, where a few of the species, the vanguard of the 
wanderers, appear to have arrived as early as the first 
fortnight of April. These were followed by considerable 
numbers towards the end of May, and by still larger numbers 
about the middle of June, after which date the passage began 
to diminish in intensity, although the birds apparently 
established themselves in the pine-woods which are abundant 
in that neighbourhood, and remained there for several 
months. 
Count Cavazza points out what is, no doubt, a noteworthy 
feature in the recent Crossbill invasion, viz., the early date 
of its commencement, for, as a rule, the irregular visits of 
this species to Italy are effected during the late summer and 
autumn months. 
Speaking of the extraordinary tameness of the species, he 
