THE PERCHING BIRDS. 145 



It feeds entirely on insects. Its nest, perhaps the most 

 beautiful of British nests, is of moss, lined with wool 

 and feathers and hair, and is often hung beneath the 

 horizontal branch of a yew. Eggs, 8 or lo, yi inch; dull 

 white, with red spots. 



Distinguished by the deeper orange of the crest, the 



Firecrest is an irregular winter visitor to the 



Channel counties, and has been recorded from 



Yorkshire. Some reported firecrests have turned out to 



be old male goldcrests. It has occurred in Scotland, but 



is not yet recorded from Ireland. 



AVith us from March to October, the Chiffchaflf has also 

 been shot in winter. Except in the Highlands, its dis- 

 tribution is wide throughout these islands. 

 There is a good deal of yellow in the plumage. 

 It feeds on insects. The nest, dome-shaped, is of moss and 

 grasses, lined with feathers, and placed near the ground. 

 Eggs, 5, rather over y^, inch ; dull white, with red spots. 



Yelloiv-browed Warbler. — A rare autumn straggler from 

 Asia. Has occurred on the east coast four times, and 

 once in Ireland. 



Pallas' s Willoiv-warhler has been once recorded (1896).^ 



The Willow- wren is with us from April to September. 



There is much yellow in the plumage, especially a line 



over the eye and along the edges of the 



♦Willow- ^yings. The song is pleasing, but of no very 



high order. Its food consists almost entirely 



of insects. The nest, domed and placed on or near the 



ground, is of grass and lined with feathers. Eggs, 4 to 8, 



f inch ; dirty white, with pale red spots. 



Distinguished from the last by the white feathers in 

 the tail, which is proportionately shorter, the Wood-wren 



1 See Mr Southwell's notes in the ' Zoologist ' for January 1897. 



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