34 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



the British species of Titmice between October and 

 March. The Kingfisher again should claim passing- 

 notice in the bird-life of the upland stream. He, 

 like the Heron, may be often met with during a 

 ramble along the banks of these romantic waterways, 

 but inasmuch as he is also a dweller on all descrip- 

 tions of water from the hills to the flat country, we 

 cannot fairly claim him as a special feature in the 

 bird-life of an upland stream. There are, for instance, 

 many pairs of Kingfishers that habitually nest in the 

 steep banks of the Derwent in its higher reaches 

 among the hills and dales of the Peak; there are 

 others on many of the hill brooks in the vicinity of 

 Sheffield ; whilst we have repeatedly seen this gem- 

 like bird on many a Scottish burn. Lastly, we 

 might mention that the cries of Plovers, Curlews, 

 Grouse, and Greenshanks, the song of Ring- ouzel. 

 Twite, and Titlark, the bleating of the Snipe, and 

 the gag of Wild Geese may often be heard mingling 

 with the babble of these upland torrents, and the 

 birds themselves met with on their banks, or within 

 a short distance of their waters ; but all these species 

 more correctly belong to other localities, and must 

 be dealt with elsewhere. 



