CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 27 



kindly been in the habit of keeping for me the right wing 

 of all the birds that strike the lamps ; and although I 

 have examined thousands of these wings from time to 

 time, I never saw but one belonging to the present 

 species. 



During the autumn of 1863, I found early one 

 morning a fir plantation, on the coast of east Lothian, 

 almost covered with these birds ; there must have been 

 scores on every tree for several acres. How such a 

 gathering can be accounted for I am at a loss to judge, 

 unless they had just crossed the sea from the north of 

 Europe. I visited the same place the next day, pro- 

 vided with a good supply of dust shot, being determined 

 to try and discover if any Fire Crests were among their 

 numbers, but the flock had entirely disappeared. 



The specimens in the case were obtained in the 

 spring of 1869, in Tarlogie Woods, near Tain, in 

 Boss- shire. 



TWITE. 



Case 36. 



These birds may generally be found every winter in 

 flocks along the south coast, either by themselves or 

 in company with Linnets and other small birds. 



They seem to have a particular fancy for some food 

 that is found among the weeds on the mudbanks that 

 are covered by the high tides ; if driven from these 

 spots, they are sure to return after a short flight. 



I have frequently, when in Caithness and Sutherland, 

 endeavoured to discover the nest of this species, but 

 although the birds themselves were plentiful on some 

 parts of the moors, I never succeeded in finding either 

 young or eggs. 



