cases where a specimen has not been procured, and I am very doubtful as to the occurrence of this bird out of the 
primeval forests of the north : — “ On Tuesday I had the pleasure of observing several Crested Titmice among 
some Scotch firs near Craig Lockhart, within about an hour’s walk of this city. Their presence was betrayed 
by tbeir peculiar and incessantly repeated notes ; but even after tbe discovery bad been made it was no easy 
matter to keep the birds in A'iew, owing to tbeir continual restlessness, in which respect, as well as in the 
amusing variety of their motions, they bore a striking resemblance to tbe more familiar Blue Titmouse. 
They kept pretty near together, and for the first twenty minutes or so after my arrival they appeared to be 
making but a cursory examination of the trees, constantly flitting from branch to branch, and seemingly 
obtaining but little in tbe way of food. At length, without any apparent cause, they all flew off to a small 
clump of Scotch firs standing alone on a more sheltered part of tbe bill-side. Whether they had received a 
signal from one of their number who had been sent out to explore, or whether they preferred the comparative 
shelter of their new position, it is impossible to say ; but at any rate it was evident that they had now found 
an abundant supply of food ; for not only did they confine themselves to one single tree, but they also appeared 
to be directing tbeir attention almost exclusively to the extremities of the smaller branches, to which they 
might frequently be seen banging, back downwards, at the same time making vigorous use of their bills. In 
this manner they were still continuing to employ themselves when I left the spot about half an hour later, 
having repeatedly, but in vain, endeavoured to ascertain the nature of their food, by examining such of the 
smaller branches as could be obtained. Although I broke these from the same tree by means of a long stick, 
the birds were so little alarmed as merely to fly to tbe opposite side of tbe tree (which, however, was one of 
considerable spread), and there remain curiously eyeing me until the interruption ceased. — Edinburgh, 
Mar. 3, 1862.” 
“ In its habits and actions,” says Mr. Hewitson, ” the Crested resembles the Blue Tit so closely that, when 
in the branches of a tree above your bead, it is only by the crest that you can distinguish it. It is equally 
noisy, and always on the move. I have watched them for hours, as in busy pursuit of insects they thronged 
the branches of some noble English-looking trees, which adorn the outskirts of the forest at Kissingen in 
Bavaria. They were equally abundant amongst the pine trees ; and although it was too late to obtain their 
eggs, I had the pleasure of discovering one of their nests, and of thus learning something of their nidifica- 
tion. When trees are felled in the forest, their trunks are left standing about two feet above the 
ground ; and in the decayed wood of one of these a hole was scooped to contain the nest of which I 
have spoken — just such a situation as would have been chosen by the Coal Tit. The nest was formed 
of dry grass and moss, lined with feathers, and contained five full-fledged young ones, who scrambled 
out of it as soon as we began to examine them. This species is said to lay from seven to ten eggs ; 
but each of the nests seen by Mr. Hancock contained no more than five, and tbe one above mentioned 
tbe same number.” 
A Crested Tit which I killed in one of the great pine forests of Norway, had the legs pale blue grey, the 
bill black, and the eye brown. The birds were moving about in small companies, uttering a sharp and 
piercing cry. I observe no outward difference in the sexes. Both have the upright top-knot, a feature 
which adds much to their elegance. As regards colour, they have but little to recommend them. Their 
food is insects, like that of the other members of the genus, to which they assimilate in pertness, and in 
liveliness and activity. The young from the nest resemble the adults, and in this respect they approach the 
PcecilcB. Specimens from Norway are generally paler in colour, and had fuller crests than the specimens 
sent me from Scotland. 
In Mr. Hewitson’s valuable ‘ Coloured Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds,’ we read that his figure 
of the egg of this species was taken from a specimen sent to him by Mr. John Hancock, of Newcastle (who 
found several of its nests in tbe woods of Morayshire), accompanied by the following note : — “ About the 
middle of April they were only in process of building ; but by the 6th of May, when the nests were taken, the 
eggs were five in number. Whether this be the full complement or not I am unable to say. The nests were 
all placed in similar situations, in holes of old stumps of trees, from three to six feet above the ground. 
They were composed of rabbits’ or hares’ down, a little moss, and a few feathers. At first sight they appeared 
to be composed entirely of down, but on closer examination they were found to be constructed of the above- 
meriftioned materials.” 
Tbe Plate represents tbe two sexes, of the natural size, on a branch of a silver fir. 
