290 BRITISH BIRDS. 



May 24tli, 1904, I saw a Chiff chaff at Lerwick, and again 

 on May 27th one (a male) was killed by a cat. On October 

 19th, 1907, one came down through a chimney in the Manor 

 House of Symlister, in the Island of Whalsay. 



John S. Tulloch. 



GREAT TITS USURPING NEST OF BLUE TITS. 



For many years I have noticed the interesting habit of 

 covering the eggs among the Tits, but, as you have already 

 published so much information on the subject from corres- 

 pondents I refrain from adding my own observations, since 

 they would add little of importance to what has already 

 been written. 



One incident respecting Tits may. however, be of interest. 

 During May, 1905, a pair of Blue Tits built a nest in a box 

 in my garden and eggs were laid. On looking into the box 

 on 12th June, after an absence from home, I found that the 

 nest contained three young Great Tits and the same number 

 of young Blue Tits, all of which were just able to fly. The 

 Great Tit sat on and hatched the eggs, for I saw her several 

 times in the nest, and I suppose that she, being the stronger 

 bird, and having a fancy for the particular box, drove off 

 the Blue Tit, which had built the nest and laid three eggs. 



Grexvelle N. Temple. 



RICHARD'S PIPIT IN CO. DUBLIN. 



A New Bird to Ireland. 



A SPECIMEN of Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi), a species 

 which is not included by Messrs. L^ssher and Warren in the 

 '' Birds of Ireland." was caught in a net on November 21st, 

 1907, at Lucan, co. Dubhn. It was identified by Mr. W. J. 

 Williams, who records it in the "Zoologist" (1908, p. 32), 

 and was seen in the flesh by Mr. R. M. Barrington. 



CONTINENTAL CROSSBILL IN SCOTLAND. 



From Dr. Hartert's remarks on the Crossbills in his article 

 " On Birds represented in the British Isles by Peculiar Forms " 

 (cf. supra, p. 210), it might be inferred that he had not seen a 

 British example of the tj^ical North-European form. It 

 may, therefore, be of interest to your readers to know that 

 I possess a specimen (ad. $ ), shot near Dunbar on 23rd July, 

 1888, regarding which Dr. Hartert wrote me in May, 1905, 

 as follows : — " The Crossbill is not scotica, but it agrees 

 perfectly with Scandinavian and German examples of Loxia 

 curvirostra curvirostra, and I take it, therefore, undoubtedh" 



