By River and Pool. 191 



nest in the county, although we believe the Siskin 

 has been known to breed therein, as well as in many 

 other counties farther south. As previously re- 

 marked, the favourite summer home of the Siskin is 

 the pine-woods of Scotland. Very engaging these 

 birds are in the alder-trees, as they cling in almost 

 every possible attitude and pick out the seeds. 

 They also visit the birch-trees in the same localities, 

 and here they are sometimes joined by a company of 

 Bramblings. These larger and heavier-looking birds 

 are equally at home amongst the long slender twigs, 

 hanging head downwards like a Tit or a Goldcrest, 

 and swaying to and fro like animated pendulums, all 

 the time keeping up a chorus of twittering notes. 

 Possibly the Brambling is a life-paired species, for 

 we have often witnessed various little marks of 

 affection between the sexes during winter. The 

 Titmice are equally engaging. Five out of the half- 

 dozen British species may be met with singly in 

 parties or in mixed companies amongst the alders 

 and birches along the river-side, each one with its 

 characteristic note and all with the acrobat-like ways 

 that ever make them so amusing. These remarks 

 more specially relate to autumn and winter; in spring 

 they scatter far and wide to less riparian haunts to 

 rear their young in spots that fancy or necessity 

 requires. 



In autumn many of these mill-dams are recognized 



