BIRDS. 



285 



moor. In Abernethy woods the sons of Rev. W. Forsyth, D.D., 

 have often found nests ; and near Aberlour many are caught by a 

 local bird-catcher in winter, and they almost certainly breed in 

 that neighbourhood, where we have seen them by the river-side, 

 when salmon-fishing in May. The Siskin is, however, less often 

 seen than the Crossbill, which frequents the same ground. It is 

 seen in small flocks also in Glen Avon and Glen Fiddich in autumn, 

 and its general occurrence may be noted by the frequency with 

 which its presence as a caged bird may be observed in local aviaries. 



In 1893 both the Siskin and the Goldfinch were about equally 

 well-known as cage-birds, but though stated to have been seen in a 

 wild state in the birch woods about Ardwell on the Lower Cabrach 

 valley of Deveron — as mentioned under Goldfinch, q.v. — all en- 

 deavour to obtain more evidence of their presence utterly failed ; 

 and if they usually occur, we think they could hardly have escaped 

 our own observation during the four years we have fished there in 

 J une, July, and part of August As our informant spoke of them as 

 occurring in flocks, we cannot help thinking there must have been 

 some mistake. However, in an unusually early season like 1893 

 it is just possible a few might wander from their more usually 

 congenial haunts, and, like the Missel-Thrushes and some other 

 species, trend upwards towards the hill-birches, instead of down- 

 wards towards the river-alders. Wild fruits were quite a month 

 or six weeks earlier, and land insects no doubt the same. 



Hinxman writes us that Siskins were very abundant at Aberlour 

 in the autumn of 1893. One of the porters at the station caught 

 over twenty with a decoy trap-cage fixed to one of the telegraph- 

 posts on the line. We found them there also not unfrequently 

 among the river-side alders in May 1884. 



[Obs. — Indigo or Painted Finch. — This North American species 

 was obtained at Newton of Struthers, near Forres, by Mr. Mac- 

 kessack in 1866. No doubt it was an escape, although our 

 endeavours to ascertain from whence have not been successful. 

 Our friend, Mr. Campbell Macpherson of Drumduan, who has a 

 fine aviary, informs us that, among other species, he has one male 

 Indigo Finch, but he adds {in lit. to us), 'There is not the smallest 

 chance of an escape from my aviary, unless something extraordi- 

 nary were to happen.' The specimen mentioned above — a young 

 male — is now in our collection at Dunipace.] 



