126 



BIRDS. 



birds " in several other of his papers, written in that same year, and 

 their comparative scarcity since. 



Also, in 1839, the Museum at Montrose procured specimens of 

 Crossbills on April 13, and again in September 1877. 



The New Statistical Account, doubtless quoting the predecessor, 

 gives them prominence in the year 1779, in winter. 



Coming to later dates: about 100 visited Drumtochty Glen in 

 1886-7, and one was preserved in the collection in the Castle (J. M.) ; 

 and by 1896 Mr. Milne seemed quite satisfied that some at least had 

 nested in that district, whilst the winter flocks became greatly 

 increased both in numbers of flocks and individuals. They were 

 unusually abundant in 1900, much more so than for some years 

 previously, and appeared in flocks of from 30 to 40 strong. At 

 last Mr. Milne Avas enabled to put their nesting beyond all doubt. 

 In 1903 he is able to record a nest of Crossbills found in their 

 well-known haunt in Drumtochty Woods, on April 9. Mr. Milne 

 says : " The nest is on the horizontal branch of a larch, far out, 

 about 12 feet from the stem, and 40 feet from the ground. Near 

 the point of the branch are several small twigs branching out all 

 round, and the nest is placed in the cup formed by the junction 

 of these twigs. The nest contains young. One of them fell out, 

 the nest being too full, and I had the opportunity of examining it. 

 It was about half-fledged, but with much down adhering to it. It 

 had a very large leak hut no crossing of the mandibles, and the feather 

 tracts were well defined. I am glad," continues Mr. Milne, "thus 

 to be able to put the fact of their breeding here beyond a doubt." 



But in 1904 Dr. Dewar can only consider records of the occur- 

 rence of the species in his district as " very doubtful," referring to 

 Forfarshire south of Montrose, and not speaking of Kincardineshire. 



Returning to the valley of Tay, Mr. Godfrey found it nesting 

 at or near the Bridge of Ericht on Loch Rannoch side, in April 

 1902 — one nest containing the first egg on the 21st — and another 

 pair at Kannoch Lodge. The nest at Bridge of Ericht was situated 

 at the end of a branch about five feet from the ground, and the hen 

 on the nest allowed a party of six people to stand close around 

 the tree and examine her. 



In another place Mr. Milne describes the steady progress made 

 by a flock of Crossbills one winter — some 30 to 40 in number — as 

 they worked through a larch plantation. They arrived on the 

 2nd October 1897, at the east end of the wood, and worked steadily 

 westwards, "consuming all the larch cones as they went along. 



