GOLD-CROWNED KINGLET. 413 



length of their journey, or both combined, as to drop the mo- 

 ment they reached land, unable to make any further exertions. 

 Great numbers were in consequence at first taken by the hand, 

 unable to rise or escape their pursuers."' This flight he ascer- 

 tained to have extended from beyond Berwick northwards as 

 far as Whitby in Yorkshire. Redwings, Fieldfares, and 

 Woodcocks, arrived at the same time. The Kinglets soon 

 spread over the country, and their numbers daily decreased, 

 until about Christmas, when scarcely more than the usual num- 

 ber remained. There was a severe snow storm in the begin- 

 ning of January, and towards the end of that month, during a 

 thaw which preceded a second and still more severe storm, 

 they all disappeared. Next year none were seen in the dis- 

 trict until October, when a few arrived at the usual period. In 

 August and September 1823, during an excursion in Scotland, 

 he looked for them in every likely locality, but without suc- 

 cess. INIr Selby supposes this great flight which arrived on the 

 Northumbrian coast to have come " from the more northern 

 provinces of Europe," which would be probable enough, were 

 it not, that, as he could find none in Scotland the following 

 year, in places where he had previously seen them very plenti- 

 ful, they might as reasonably be supposed to have come from 

 that country. 



In the neighbourhood of Edinburgh I have found them for 

 several years back common enough in all the fir woods ; but 

 we have no accession of numbers at the period of the arrival 

 of the Woodcock and Fieldfare. That an occasional irruption 

 from the continent may take place is not unlikely ; and it 

 seems probable that the individuals observed by Mv Low in 

 Orkney may have come from that quarter. Bechstein states 

 that in Germany they are seen passing southward in October, 

 and again northward in March, but that flocks reside there 

 during the whole year. It does not appear that with us any 

 other migration than a mere shifting from one wood to another 

 usually takes place. 



In his edition of Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary, Mr 

 Rennie has given a very amusing account of a family of Gold- 

 crests. The young, eight in number (two having died), were 



