BIRDS. 



but not commonly (Catalogue of his collection written for me by- 

 Mr. Marshall— MS.). 



In the eastern portions I have no reliable account of it. Mr. 

 Nichol Simpson quotes Mr. J. Milne as giving it place about that 

 district, but Mr. Milne himself has since informed me that he has 

 never been able to verify such previous observations (in. lit., 21st 

 April 1904). This, of course, therefore upsets the statement given 

 in the Annah Scot. Nat. Hist. (1899, p. 149). 



I have always been sceptical about most of the records of the 

 ChiffchafF in Scotland north of Forth and Clyde. 



Certain eggs, stated in the first instance to be those of the Marsh- 

 Tit, taken near Perth^ attracted my attention, as I was strongly on 

 the hunt for " history " connected with that species. This statement 

 was altered to "those of ChifFchaff," and they are now in the Perth 

 Museum under that label. Needless to say, there is little value in 

 this record, though it may bear looking into later. 



Mr. Bruce writes at some length about its occurring, though 

 rarely, at St. Andrews, and of finding its domed nest amongst the 

 ivy of the Abbey Park on May 11 (1). 



In 1896, however, we may rely upon the fact of Mr. W. 

 Evans having taken the eggs or found the nest about three miles 

 above Aberfoyle (Forth), which is the furthest west and north 

 locality which can be trusted to be correct, unless Mr. Paterson can 

 enlighten us as to its visitations in Clyde. 



And in 1904 we have the occurrence of the ChiffchafF reported 

 at Struan, in the annual report upon the movements of birds in 

 Scotland, by Mr. Hinxman (Annals Scot. Nat. Hist, 1894, p. 212). 



Personally, I may say that I have always failed to discover it in 

 any locality north of Forth and Clyde, though others claim to have 

 done so, even commonly in some places, a good deal further north. I 

 thought I heard it once or twice in Stirlingshire some years ago, but 

 I have since come to the conclusion that it was on every occasion a 

 Cole-Titmouse I had been listening to. 



Mr. Charles Mackintosh related to me that he felt perfectly sure 

 of at least two pairs frequenting the woods near Dunkeld in 1902, 

 and seemed sure of their note, but such a practised observer as 

 J. G. Millais has no note of it in the list he supplied me with. Mr. 

 Eodger of the Perth Museum informs me that he was present along 

 with Mr. Charles Mackintosh on the occasion of hearing the voice of 

 at least two birds, as above related. 



Mr. W. Evans has not got one reliable record of the ChifFchafF 



