94 



BIRDS. 



printed catalogue of the late Sir William Jardine's collection, nor are there 

 any in the sale catalogue (Puttick and Simpson, June ] 7, 1886) ; nor do I 

 remember seeing any in Sir William's collection, where I certainly looked for 

 and expected to find one or more. Curiously, at the same time there is only 

 one specimen of Parus caudatus mentioned in the catalogue. I think that 

 the specimens recorded as obtained near Glasgow — ante, q.v. (Naturalist's 

 Library, xi. p. 177) — and seen in the flesh by Lieut. Chauner, and reported 

 to Sir William Jardine, may have existed there as a remnant at that time, 

 or otherwise that some mistake had taken place not easy to account for at 

 this late date. And I am under the strong belief also that similar mistakes 

 have taken place more than once elsewhere. However, as they do not belong 

 to the present area, I am content to leave the matter over. F. W. Bigges' 

 specimen, shot in the Pass of Killiecrankie, as is recorded by Yarrell, may 

 13erhaps be accepted as about the last remnant of a very ancient habitation of 

 Tay. Be all that as it may, the fact remains that where it does occur — viz. 

 in the valley of the Spey — it appears to be recovering its ancient status, 

 and even spreading outwards, but at all other localities where it has been 

 reported to have been met with, very many years ago, it has not been met 

 with since. More I cannot say. 



And I may add that of other places where authors have stated it to occur, 

 there has not been any proof of a satisfying nature. I am not aware of a 

 single authentic instance of it, for example, in Aberdeen or elsewhere in Dee 

 yet, nor at any locality to the west, in for instance Eoss-shire. The only 

 one to which (possibly) credence can be given is that at Barcaldine (Argyll).^] 



Family SITTIDJE. 

 Sitta caesia, ^Folf. Nuthatch, 

 Eare. Occasional visitant. 



I can only give such records as have appeared, without any 

 attempt at criticism. 



The old Statistical Account, 1795 (vol. xvii. p. 273), mentions the 



^ Often where Seebohm is quoted as an authority for Scotland it will be found that 

 he has failed to consult more recent accounts, and his local knowledge is quite at fault. 

 See the statement in his British Birds and their Eggs regarding this species as an 

 instance (vol. i. p. 162). The river Spey runs entirely through Inverness from its 

 source to the county abutments of Banff at one place below Grantown, and Elgin and 

 Banff below Oraigellachie. I am not aware that the Crested Tit has as yet got over 

 the watershed to Dee at any point, but it has followed down the Spey in recent years 

 — since about 1900— as far as Fochabers. Nor have I been able to locate it at any place 

 over the much lower watershed between Spey and Morayshire, nor has it to the best of 

 my information yet reached down into Nairn from Grantown. In fact it is still confined 

 to the valley of the Spey and the better- wooded tributary streams. 



Millais writes me : "I have never seen this bird in Perthshire " ; and he appears to 

 be at a loss to understand why it has never been obtained in that county. Perhaps my 

 views may throw some steady light upon the matter. 



