68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Notes on the Extension of Range of the Crested Tit. — 



In the September number of the 191 5 volume of the Scottish 

 Naturalist Mr Blackwood records this species from Nairnshire, and 

 says (page 285), "This record would seem to indicate an extension 

 in the breeding range via the Darnaway Forest." In the December 

 number of British Birds, vol. ix. (page 182), Mr W. R. Ogilvie 

 Grant records the occurrence of this species in Ross-shire in 

 October. In view of the above records, I think it advisable to 

 publish the following notes which I have made on the extension of 

 range of the Crested Tit during the last few years ; my reason for 

 not publishing them before being that I wished to see the species 

 established in the new localities, and thought silence on my part 

 would further this object. On 14th September 1907 I observed 

 this species in north-east Inverness-shire; on 16th May 191 o I 

 came upon them in the locality mentioned by Mr Blackwood, and 

 also in another locality farther to the east. I know of them in two 

 distinct localities in the lower reaches of the Findhorn Valley; one 

 locality I discovered on 24th May 1910, the second locality in 

 September 19 15. In September 191 1 I again observed them in 

 north-east Inverness-shire (some miles away from the first locality of 

 1907), and have seen them there several times since. 



In October 1910 I first discovered this species in east Ross- 

 shire; I saw them again in this locality on 12th May 191 1, and 

 have seen them there several times since. On 5th April and nth 

 May 19 1 2 I observed them in another locality in east Ross-shire, 

 several miles distant from the first locality, and here they have certainly 

 bred, as I have seen the young ones hardly able to fly. On i6th June 

 191 2 I discovered this species some fifteen miles from the last 

 locality, so I may say I know of three distinct localities where this 

 species occurs. Presumably Mr Ogilvie Grant met with it in one of 

 these localities. May I remind your readers that the distribution of 

 this species previous to Mr Blackwood's and Mr Ogilvie Grant's 

 records as given in the new B.O.U. list published in 1915 is as 

 follows (see B.O.U. list, page 59) :" Resident and common in 

 the pine forests and birch woods of the Spey Valley of east 

 Inverness-shire and Morayshire." — William Berrv, Lentran, 

 Inverness-shire. 



Rough-legged Buzzard in East Fife. — On 29th October 

 a Rough-legged Buzzard {Archibuteo lagopus) was brought to us 

 which had been found, about a week before, sitting under the 

 telephone wires by the side of the main road between Largo and 

 Colinsburgh. It had a badly broken leg, one wing was injured, and 



