46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



old and four young ones, came every morning to a group of fir 

 trees, Pinus ahies, covered with cones, and remained for some 

 time feeding on these. Occasionally I could see one fly off with 

 a cone, and some descended to the ground. They do not appear 

 to feed on the cones as the Crossbills do, but to snap them off 

 first before getting the seeds out ; and having had their break- 

 fast they flew across, passing within twenty yards of where I was 

 sitting to another and larger pine forest. I could easily dis- 

 tinguish the young birds, being of a kind of sooty brown, with 

 only indications, as it were, of the white spots. The old birds 

 were in full plumage, and one of them always came first, then 

 the four children, and then the old mother or father bringing up 

 the rear. They fly with a slow Jay-like flight, and without any 

 noise. I came upon another, or perhaps the same, lot in an 

 afternoon walk, some three or four miles away, in the middle of 

 a large pine wood. It is quite surprising to see the great number 

 of fir cones which lie on the ground under the trees, broken up 

 by Squirrels, Nutcrackers, and Crossbills, particularly the two 

 former. When sitting and sketching, I have watched the 

 Black Squirrel come down from the trees and turn over cone 

 after cone, occasionally finding one untouched, and I have no 

 doubt the Nutcrackers do the same. Although I kept a sharp 

 look out, and once or twice thought I heard their peculiar note, 

 I never came upon any of the Crossbills. 



Green Woodpecker, Gecinus viridis. — Plentiful about the 

 orchards round Zug and Lucerne. I was much disappointed at 

 not seeing more of the Picida in these forests, this species being 

 the only one of this family observed. 



TREij Creeper, Certhia familiaris. — Also jiretty plentiful in 

 the same localities. 



Coax, Tit, Parus ater. — Seen about Felsincgg : there was 

 always a colony together, which appeared to take a regular round 

 daily, as alwaj's at the same place, at the same hour, I found 

 them flitting from tree to tree searching for their food. 



Blue Tit, Parus ccerulcus. — Very common about Baden and 

 the orchards round Zug. 



Blackbird and Thrush. — In every thicket and garden, and 

 very tame, particularly the former. 



Missel Thrush, Tunliis riscivonts. — Collects in flocks early 

 in September. I found a number of them in my walks around 



