The Scottish Naturalist. 
9 
not confined to the birch-woods, it was oftener seen in these 
than elsewhere. 
9. Parus cristatus (Crested Tit). 
I had not been many days at Kincraig, when a group of Tits 
and Goldcrests attracted my attention as they searched the 
walls of a garden adjoining a large pine-wood by the road to 
Glen Feshie. Examining them through my binoculars, I was 
delighted to discover a pair of Crested Tits. The party soon 
left the garden and took to the wood, where I followed them 
for several hours, studying the habits and call-notes of 
Cristatus. Once familiar with the call-note, it was easy to 
detect the presence of the birds, even when feeding near the 
tops of the tallest trees, where otherwise it was difficult to 
identify them ; and I scarcely ever afterwards entered a pine- 
wood (they were never noticed out of these), from the head 
of Glen Feshie to Grantown, without soon becoming aware 
of their presence. In the large forests — those, for instance, 
of Rothiemurchus, Glenmore, Abernethy^ and about Carr- 
bridge — they were by no means rare. They were always in 
company with Cole Tits and Goldcrests, seldom more than a 
pair, however, being with any one group. During a ramble 
in one of the large forests on the 28th August, I detected 
them in eight different parties of Tits. It is difficult to 
represent the call-note on paper : the syllables, tivicrr, twurr^ 
twurr, written down at the time, still vividly recall the sound 
to my mind. 
o. Troglodytes parvulus (Wren). 
Frequently observed ; occasionally even in remote places 
among the hills. 
T. Motacilla lugubris (Pied Wagtail). 
Common: occasionally in large assemblages. On 22nd 
August, I counted about eighty Wagtails — mostly tliis 
form — among a quantity of mown grass, which had been 
carried by the Spey when in flood, and left near the road-side 
a short distance above Loch Insch. They were mostly young 
birds, but there were several old black-backed males present. 
Another considerable gathering was observed near Boat of 
Garten, on 4th September. 
2. Motacilla alba (White Wagtail). 
In the assemblage of Wagtails seen on 22nd August, were two 
