THE CRESTED TIT. 417 



and in America, it is at least worth seeking for as a British 

 bird. The two species in question are, " the crested tit," a 

 woodland bird, and " the bearded tit," a marsh bird. 



THE CRESTED TIT (PttTUS CTlstatus). 



The title of this beautiful little bird to a place in the 

 British Faunae rests upon rather slender direct evidence, 

 that of a single specimen received by Dr. Latham from the 

 forest of Glenmore, in the eastern Grampians. 



These birds inhabit, abundantly and permanently, the pine 

 forests and the adjoining or interspersed jungles of juniper or 

 other shrubby evergreens, in Scandinavia, the countries on the 

 south of the Baltic, the Carpathian mountains, and the hilly 

 districts of France ; and they are also found in the pine forests 

 on both sides of the St. Lawrence in North America. But 

 in all their localities they are hideling birds, never seen out 

 of the forests, and but seldom there in proportion to what, 

 from the eggs, (which are as many as ten,) may be presumed 

 to be the total number of the birds.* 



The proper places to look for these birds are the natural 

 pine forests, the juniper brakes, and the fir plantations in 

 Scotland southward of the Moray Firth, on the borders of 

 the great glen of the lakes, and in Strathglass, between the 

 river and Mam Suil ; the last of which deserves more minute 

 observation than it has hitherto met with, from its proximity 

 to both seas, and the mildness of its climate as compared 

 with the elevation of its surface there being a rich sward 

 upon Mam Suil at a greater height than that at which all 

 vegetation but lichens ceases on Ben Nevis, which is nearer 

 the Atlantic, and farther to the south, though the small lake 



* The Parus cristatus is not an American species ; it is common in 

 Central Europe, and according to Sir W. Jardine, has been found in 

 some plantations not far distant from Glasgow, where it annually 

 breeds. M. 



VOL. I. 2 E 



