2 S 4 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



regarded as a rare straggler. During winter and early spring a few- 

 have been observed at the foot of Loch Ossian, never more than 

 three in company. The winter visitors were storm-driven wanderers ; 

 and those seen in spring may have been returning to haunts from 

 which they had previously been expelled by ungenial weather 

 conditions. 



Greenfinch, Chloris chloris. 



A male, probably a weather-driven vagrant from an agricultural 

 area, appeared after the snowfall of the 4th of December 191 5, and 

 remained for a day at the foot of Loch Ossian. This is the only 

 occurrence known to me for the Forest. 



House-Sparrow, Passer domesticus. 



This energetic feathered pioneer has followed the iron road far 

 into the Highlands. It is now a resident at Corrour station, at the 

 summit (1350 feet) of the West Highland Railway. From this 

 lonely outpost it has found its way to the Lodge and the neighbouring 

 premises, where it appeared about the year 1910, and has become 

 quite common. It has not, however, yet reached the old established 

 farmhouse and premises at the head of Loch Treig. 



Chaffinch, Fringilla ccelebs. 



This widely distributed species is both a resident and a summer 

 visitor at Corrour. It is most abundant as a summer visitor 

 to the birch wood, where it nests up to at least 1600 feet, but 

 is also present at that season in the plantations and gardens at the 

 foot of Loch Ossian. Only a very small number remain to 

 winter, and all those observed in December 191 5 were males. It 

 is also common in summer in the valley zone at the head of Loch 



Treig and elsewhere. 



Redpoll, Acanthis linaria. 



Lesser Redpoll, A. linaria cabaret. 



Though somewhat uncommon and local in the Western High- 

 lands, this cheery little bird is both abundant and resident in 

 suitable haunts in the Forest. In the nesting season it is present in 

 the Ossian plantations, including those in the Lodge garden, 

 where none, however, were observed above 1400 feet. In winter 

 the majority betake themselves to, and are then quite common in, 

 the birch wood, where they feed on the seeds of the catkins and 



