170 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Accentor modularis. Relatively uncommon. 



Cinclus aquaticus. Generally distributed along the mountain 

 streams of the Schwarzwald. Two, that had apparently lost their 

 bearings, were obtained at Karlsruhe. 



Acredula caadata may be the commoner form. — I have only 

 identified A. rosea for certain. It keeps to the tops of trees, 

 occasionally visiting the town. Referring to the question of the 

 height at which the nests are situated, the highest I have seen 

 was some twenty-five feet up, the lowest actually touching the 

 ground, on a bank among the roots of a tree. 



Parus ater and major occur in about equal numbers. This 

 genus would increase more in the neighbourhood of Karlsruhe, 

 as the surroundings are favourable so far as food-supply and 

 immunity from its usual enemies are concerned, but unfortunately 

 the number of nesting- sites is limited. — P. palustris is also not 

 rare ; a nest I looked into at Eggenstein, about one foot from the 

 ground, was composed of hare's fur, and the eggs were carefully 

 concealed under old leaves, presumably for protection against 

 weasels, &c. — P. cceruleus and cristatus occur at present in almost 

 reversed proportions in the Hardwald, and I have elsewhere 

 observed the identical phenomenon, viz., numerous appearance of 

 cceruleus coupled with a marked decrease of cristatus. I daresay 

 the more errant, independent, and fln-de-siecle disposition of the 

 former has something to do with the change. 



Sitta ccesia is similarly increasing, and not only near Karlsruhe. 

 During the breeding season it retires to nesting quarters, mostly 

 on the summit of old oaks, and its erratic notes are not heard 

 for some time. One nest I observed occupied an old Wood- 

 pecker-hole in a pine tree, and was formed exclusively of thin 

 transparent strips of pine bark, which must have taken very long 

 to collect. On another occasion the chosen hole, being of incon- 

 venient size, was plastered up : this proceeding attracted the 

 attention of a pair of Great Tits, who were so pleased with the 

 alteration, that they forcibly entered into possession as soon as it 

 was completed. The diet of the Nuthatch is almost omnivorous, 

 and largely sought on the ground, as can be seen in winter, when 

 the smallest snowfall — but never frost alone — is sufficient to drive 

 it to one's windows. In the case of one Nuthatch I shot, the 

 upper mandible of the beak, instead of fitting on to the lower 

 one, diverged at an angle : many analogous malformations have 



