338 APPENDIX. 



woods at Loch Inver. Indeed, we think we once saw it there, but only 

 once in 1881. 



Willow Wvea—Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.) 



A summer visitant ; extremely abundant wherever there is a little 

 birch- wood. A single bush sometimes shelters a pair of Willow Wrens, 

 but a bit of green, however tiny, seems necessary to their existence. 

 A nest taken near Balnacoil, was placed in that of a robin from which 

 the young had previously flown.; it was lined with feathers and arched 

 over. 



Gold-crest — Regulus cristatus (Koch.) 

 Resident in the south-east, where it breeds in the fir- woods so suitable 

 to it ; large additions to its number arrive in the autumn, and these 

 are scattered all through the district, as they do not then adhere 

 so closely to the large woods, but haunt the smaller patches of birch 

 and alder. A wonderful migration of this species occurred in the 

 autumn of 1882, stretching in width of migration-wave from Faroe 

 south to the English Channel, along our whole eastern seaboard, 

 driven, helpless and exhausted, upon our shores, by strong continuous 

 east and south-east winds. Much scarcer about Tongue since the 

 winter of 187S-79. 



Fire-crested Wren — Regulus ignicapillus (C. L. Brehm). 



A specimen recorded by St. John in the collection of Mr. Bantock, late 

 keeper at Dunrobin. 



Family TROGLODYTID.E. 



Common Wren — Troglodytes parvulus (Koch.) 

 Resident, and common everywhere in the east ; frequenting the very 

 wildest places on the hillside, especially the burn sides overhung with 

 long heather, even in the severest winter. Perhaps not quite so abun- 

 dant in the west, still common in almost every suitable locality ; 

 singing loud above the roar of the Kirkaig Falls, and sitting there 

 almost within reach of the spray. 



Family CERTHIIDvE. 



Tree Creeper — Ccrthia familiaris (Linn.) 



Resident, and common in the east, where there is sufficient wood, and we 

 have obtained its nest here. Generally solitary. Mr. Houstoun tells 

 us that in the beginning of March 1SS2 he saw some dozens of these 

 birds together, five of them on one tree. Unknown in the west ; 

 common at Rosehall, and present at Lairg and at Tongue. 



Family PARIDiE. 



Great Titmouse — Parus major, Linn. 



Very rare in the east ; one specimen in the Dunrobin Museum. Sheriff 

 Mackenzie writes us he has never seen this bird about Dornoch. This 

 species has, however, certainly been observed by us on one occasion 

 near Loch Inver, in the west. As yet absent around Tongue. There 

 are eggs purporting to be of this species in the Dunrobin Museum,' 

 but unfortunately there are no notes available regarding them. If 

 they were taken in a new locality it would have possibly helped our 

 estimation of their distribution to have the date and place recorded. 



