300 



BIRDS. 



Amongst the few ornithologists, vre believe, who have secured 

 eggs, or actually found nests of the Crossbill in Strathspey, we may 

 mention Mr. E. H. Eead, and as his notes are of interest we shortly 

 epitomise them. He found a nest near Inverdruie after three days' 

 endeavour. He saw ' what looked like a small pigeon's nest about 

 twenty feet from the ground in the top of a small Scotch fir.' (This 

 proved to be an old nest of the Crossbill.) ' Within fifty yards,' he 

 continues, ' I saw another in a precisely similar position.' Then 

 the old bird flew ofi". ' It was of a greenish tint, and I could see 

 the "hatching spots" on its breast.' The nest contained 'four 

 naked young, not more than three or four days old. Theii' bills 

 were straight. ... I saw nothing of the male bird. Whilst I 

 was ascending the tree the female kept up a sharp barking kind 

 of croak from the topmost twig of an adjacent tree.' This 

 occurred upon the 22nd April 1889. 



[Obs. — Loxia pityopdttacus, Bechst. PaiTOt Crossbill. — Edward 

 claims to have identified a male Parrot Crossbill at about three 

 yards' distance as it sat on a low, bare wall, ' in all his pride and 

 beauty.' "We only ask how many ornithologists are there who can 

 successfully identify a Parrot Crossbill, who had probably never 

 seen one before in life ? This is another record equal in value with 

 that already given of Eichards' Pipit, q.v. antea.'] 



[Obs. — Loxia leucojjtera, Gmel. White-winged Crossbill — 

 Edward says that a large flock of these bii'ds settled on the trees 

 near Castle Duff", Banff", about fifty years ago, and adds : — ' They 

 were much exhausted, and many of them were dropping off" the 

 trees.' He speaks also of their gaudy plumage, and 'nearly all the 

 town flocked to see the strangers.' There are no other records, 

 and there are no existing specimens to prove this old record.] 



Sub-faimly EMBERIZIN^. 

 Emberiza miliaria, L. Common Bunting. 



Local Name. — Corn Bunting. 



In the north of our area the Bunting is very abundant along the 

 coast-line in summer, but it does not seem to advance far up the 

 straths, even where there is a certain amount of cultivation. In 

 winter it is certainly rare, nor do we remember it at all about the 

 neighbourhood of Kintradwell at that season. Mr. Baillie says 



