The Zoologist — Apkil, 1873. 3481 



I perceived by the declining sun that the evening was approaching, when 

 suddenly a singular, continuous, shrill chirping sound reached my ears, as 

 of several small birds together, but the notes were strange to me. Although 

 well acquainted with the call of most British birds, I could not recognize 

 this one, and the longer I listened the more I was puzzled. Gradually it 

 approached, and seemed to proceed from one of the taller Scotch firs at a 

 little distance. Fixing my eyes on the spot, I soon saw several little birds, 

 something larger than bullfinches, emerging from the foliage, and flying one 

 by one towards the tree that was nearest to me, alight on the very boughs 

 that hung over my head. I could hardly beheve my eyes, as I realized the 

 delightful fact that I was actually within a few yards of a whole family of 

 crossbills (Loa-ia curvirostra) ,husilj engaged at their marvellous employment 

 of splitting the fir-cones and extracting the seeds. Need I say that the recol- 

 lection of previous bad luck, and even my sufferings from the gnats, were 

 obliterated by such an interesting sight, not the less welcome from its 

 being so unexpected. The very plumage of these little creatures added to 

 the charm of their presence. Some were of a beautiful deep crimson colour, 

 others orange or yellow ; others, again, were clad in a plain brown livery, 

 and all were busily intent on their occupation of rifling the cones, during 

 ■which they kept flying about from one twig to another, incessantly uttering 

 their shrill monotonous notes. After close observation, I noticed that they 

 seldom attempted to operate upon a cone on the exact spot where it grew, 

 but after snapping one off from a slender terminal twig, each bird would hop 

 or fly to the central part of the branch, and in parrot-like fashion hold it in 

 his foot, but more frequently under it, as a hawk holds a small bird when 

 in the act of devouring it, and quickly inserting his bill between the scales 

 split them open by means of that wonderful tool, and extract the seeds with 

 the greatest facility. Occasionally a cone would fall to the ground just as 

 it was snapped off; but, in such a case, a fresh one was instantly selected, 

 no further notice being taken of the one that had dropped. Their powers 

 of climbing appeared fully equal to that of the titmice, as they swung about 

 in all directions and in every imaginable attitude, twisting and twirling, 

 fluttering and chattering, within a few yards of me, and evidently quite 

 unconscious of my presence." — P. 33. 



Mr. Knox dwells at considerable length on the singular manner 

 in which the squirrels have immigrated and emigrated into and 

 from different localities they frequent. The story of their having 

 been introduced by a lady who had admired their lively habits and 

 sprightly attitudes in England receives collateral support from that 

 observant naturalist, Dr. Gordon, who attributes Iheir introduction 

 into this district of Scotland to Lady Lovat in 1844. A story is 

 told of a squirrel having ascended a man in the treeless region of 



