58 GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 



From about 67° N. lat., the limit of the fir-woods in Scandinavia, 

 and from Archangel and the Ural Mountains in Russia, the Golden- 

 crest is generally distributed over Europe down to the Mediterranean 

 and Black Seas ; it is also a regular migrant to INIalta in spring and 

 autumn, on its way to and from North Africa. Eastward, it stretches 

 across Asia to the Amur ; examples from Asia Minor, Turkestan 

 and the Himalayas being intermediate between our form and 

 R. cristatus var. japo?iicus, with a greyish-brown nape, resident in 

 Japan. At the other extremity of its range, a local race named by 

 Seebohm R. cristatus var. azoricus, distinguished by its much larger 

 bill, stouter legs, and longer tail, is found in the Azores ; but the 

 Canaries appear to be frequented by the typical form. 



The beautiful nest of the Golden-crested Wren is generally placed 

 beneath the extremity of a branch of a fir, yew, cedar, or other 

 evergreen ; the almost spherical structure being upheld by the 

 lateral twigs. Occasionally it has been found upon the upper sur- 

 face of a branch, or against ivy-covered trees, and even in a low 

 bush. Built of the softest moss, felted with spiders' webs, wool, 

 and a few lichens, and having a lining of small feathers, it is 

 frequently ready for eggs by the latter part of March. These, 5-8 

 and even 10 in number, are buff-white, minutely freckled, especially 

 at the larger end, with reddish-brown : measurements '52 by '4 in. 

 The female sits very close. The sweet, but rather weak song of the 

 male, uttered almost incessantly in fine weather, is often commenced 

 in February ; the call note is a rather shrill si-si-si. Insects seem to 

 form the chief food of this sociable little bird, which may often be 

 seen in winter searching for the means of subsistence in the woods 

 and groves, together with Tits and Tree-Creepers. 



Adult male : forehead to above the eye, greyish-white, surmounted 

 by a dark brown frontal streak, deepening into a black line below 

 each side of the crest, which is bright yellow in front and rich 

 orange further back ; neck and back yellowish olive-green ; tail- 

 feathers ash-brown, with yellowish margins ; wings ash-brown, with 

 white spot-like tips to the secondaries, and a black bar across the 

 upper part, contrasting with the white margins of the median and 

 greater wing-coverts ; under parts greenish-buff, whiter on the belly ; 

 bill very dark brown ; legs and feet brown : irides hazel. Length 

 3*6 in. ; wing to the tip of the 5th and longest primary 2-1 in. The 

 female is duller than the male, with narrower black streaks below 

 the crest, which is only lemon-yellow. The young bird has no 

 crest, but the crown is rather darker in colour than the back. 



