SYLVIA REGULUS. 325 



began to arrive again in October, so we see they require to be 

 prolific to stand the strain of such losses as these. And modern 

 Biology, in its scientific observations from 118 different reports 

 from lighthouses along our coasts, tell they " cross the North Sea 

 in extraordinary numbers in September, October, and November," 

 many " striking against the glass in the darkest nights, and 

 caught." The general colour is yellowish-brown ; the lower 

 parts darkish-grey ; the feathers so soft and long that, when 

 raised, the bird is like a downy ball. Those of the crest are 

 long, silky, and shining — in the male, beautiful orange ; in the 

 female, yellow ; legs and iris, brown. The body, wings, and 

 tail of this handsome wee bird are of moderate length, while its 

 easy flight, sprightliness, activity, and sweet song so harmoniously 

 blend as to make it the type of the St/lviadce. It is only 

 3J inches long by 6-J in extent of wings; female a half-inch 

 less — the least in size of all our native birds. I have seen them 

 in small family parties here summer and winter, and met them in 

 autumn on the wooded slopes of Ben Vrackie, as well as on the 

 birch and pine-clad skirts of Loch Brora. There is another 

 species called the fire-crested kinglet, Regulus Ignicapillus, 

 sometimes seen in the south-east coast of England,. Its crest is 

 redder — hence its name. It is about the same size ; but, as I 

 never saw it here, I need not further describe it, only, as the few 

 individuals found on the south-east coast of England may have 

 been driven out of their way, I see no reason why they may not 

 be found on the East Coast of Scotland. The next sub-family 

 of this interesting group is 



The Pariana— The Tits, Genus Parus. 



From their stronger bill and other generic features, some 

 authors class the tits with the finches, the Fringillidce. They 

 have an intermediate bill between the hard and the soft — 

 between the Linnsean genera of Fringilla and Motacilla. 

 Linnaeus not inaptly ranges plants geographically — palms inhabit 

 the tropics ; grasses the temperate zones ; mosses and lichens 

 the polar circles ; and birds may be classed the same way by 

 the bill. But the tits, as a separate genus, stick pretty close 

 together although allied to the wrens, so I shall begin with the 

 largest. 



