ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORDS FROM THE "DEE AREA 127 



Marsh-tits obtained in Scotland, which he has seen, belong to this 

 Scottish form. In our experience this form has a very distinctive 

 alarm-note, a metallic, buzzing "chay, chay, chay," which at once 

 marks it out from the other Tits ; but it has also other notes similar 

 to some of the Blue Tit, and its song is a typical Tit-like song, 

 approaching, possibly, more nearly to that of the Coal-tit than to 

 any of the others. In Renfrewshire it is rare as a breeding species, 

 a nest with young found by Messrs Malloch and Mackeith, near 

 Kilmacolm, on 6th June 1914, and "a pair with their family," seen 

 by Mr R. Oswald Blyth near Loch Thom a few years earlier, are the 

 only definite records. In winter it is rather more widely distributed, 

 though far from being numerous, but in the winter of 1896-7 it was 

 as common as any of the other Tits in the east of the county. In 

 November 1908, at Giffnock, Robertson saw a conspicuously bright 

 Marsh-tit, which may have been an immigrant of the typical form. 



i^To be continued.') 



ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORDS FROM THE 

 "DEE" AREA. 



By A. Landsborough Thomson, M.A., B.Sc, M.B.O.U. 



The following notes include a few records of recent date 

 (19 14), and a number of older records which have recently come 

 to hand, or which have remained unpublished for one reason 

 or another. A series of records from this area for 191 3 has 

 already appeared in these pages (1914, p. 201). 



Waxwing {Ampelis garrulus). — In early January 19 14, when 

 this species was recorded in other parts of the country, one was 

 very closely observed in a garden at New Deer, Aberdeenshire. 

 Several persons sent accurate descriptions of its peculiar character- 

 istics. 



Great Grey Shrike {Lantus excubitor). — One was killed at 

 Cruden Bay about 25th March 191 5, and sent in the flesh to 

 the University. 



Kingfisher {Alcedo ispida). — There have been few records 

 during recent years. One was seen several times in February 19x2, 

 on the Don near Old Aberdeen (Mrs D. V. Pirie, Mr John 



