BIRDS. 



283 



coast of Britain. If, then, removal of their landmarks and food- 

 supplies, such as thistles, and the persecution by bird-catchers, are 

 continued for a long series of years, where could they look to for 

 accessions or replacements on migration 1 To put an instance more 

 strongly still : Suppose our Crested Tits of Strathspey were killed 

 mit, would we expect that, in course of time, their places could be 

 filled up again by immigrants from the east ? The Crested Tit is 

 a sedentary species ; but suppose it was not, and a north to south 

 migrant both in Britain and the Continent, would it be likely, even 

 then, to recuperate from the east 'i We think not. Only by increase 

 of numbers and congestion at South British localities would there 

 be a likelihood of a northerly increase in breeding range and resusci- 

 tation, so to speak, of its numbers in North Britain. In the same 

 way, how can we expect to have our White-tailed Eagles increased 

 in number, when their present line of migration from the Conti- 

 nent passes for the most part down our east cocist from the Ord of 

 Caithness % 



Chrysomitris spinus {L.). Siskin. 



Fairly abundant, and resident in the northern parts of our area, and 

 breeds in many localities from Dunrobin^ southwards. Their 

 nest is generally placed in thick spruce or the terminal fronds of 

 a pine, often 60 feet from the ground, and is not only difficult 

 to find, but the eggs are often still more difficult to get out of 

 the nest, from the position of the latter. The young birds are 

 much in request as cage-birds wherever they are known to nest, 

 but as yet no impression has been made on their numbers as is the 

 case with the species last mentioned. In 1869 Booth took a nest 

 and eggs from Tarlogie Wood, near Tain, but later Mr. Jennings 

 remarks that he has only met with one pair in that locality. 



Mr. A. Craig says that their numbers in Glen Urquhart vary 

 from year to year, but that there arc always some to be found. 

 Near Inverness the late Dr. Aitken found numbers of this bird, 

 and procured a nest at Dochfour. Two of our correspondents 

 from Invergarry inform us that they breed there, and one of them 

 had taken the nest. Siskins are not rare in the neighbourhood 

 of Foyers. 



1 Fauna of Sutherland and Caithness, p. 125. 



