CRESTED TITMOUSE. 177 



the Duke of Gordon, from whence we have seen 

 it.'' Notwithstanding these good authorities, 

 there has, until very lately, been a kind of doubt 

 thrown over the occurrence of this bird in Scot- 

 land, and by more modern authors our own 

 authority for its occurrence has been added, and 

 it rests on this, we have made many excursions 

 to the Highlands of Scotland, but were never so 

 fortunate as to meet with a troop of these birds, 

 though they were always anxiously watched for ; 

 but Lieutenant Chauner, of the dragoons, in- 

 formed me, that he had several times seen the 

 bird brought fresh into Glasgow, killed in a 

 plantation of fir not far distant. This gentleman 

 was well acquainted with birds, and could scarcely 

 be mistaken ; and now we have still less reason 

 to doubt its occurrence, for Mr Yarrell gives us 

 two instances, where the gentlemen shot and 

 observed the bird itself, Thomas Macpherson 

 Grant of Edinburgh, and F. W. Byge, Esq. of 

 Hampton Court, who saw it in the pass of Killi- 

 crankie. Its describers, Temminck, &c. say, that 

 it inhabits pine forests, and that its habits are re- 

 tired and shy ; and thus if a bird of local distribu- 

 tion, it has been difficult to be traced, even though 

 individuals have travelled purposely to search for 

 it, and unless knowing and being familiar with its 

 peculiar call, an ornithologist may traverse the 

 extensive forests of lofty pines often and often, 

 without passing the tract, or coming within the 

 sound of the notes of these little birds. Such seems, 

 in reality, to be the case, and we have little doubt 



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