273 

 THE GOLD-CREST. 



fRegiiltis cristatiis j . 



The Golden-crested Wren, which might be aptly 

 termed the Knglish Humming-bird — being the smallest 

 British bird, and one of the handsomest — is an 

 exceedingly interesting species in confinement. It can 

 stand a great deal of cold, especially if allowed the range 

 of an aviary : an indoor one by preference, as there is 

 then less risk of the drinking water being frozen. It is 

 extremely active, being constantly on the move from 

 sunrise to sunset ; and this activity, no doubt, keeps the 

 bird from feeling the effects of the cold. 



During severe winter weather, wdien the trees are 

 covered with icicles and snow, and it seems almost 

 impossible for au}^ gnats, spiders, and other minute 

 insects (on which the l)ird exists) to be about, the wonder 

 is how the little Gold-crest finds sufficient food to live 

 upon. But as soon as the thaw sets in, he is as lively as 

 ever, and, very often, within a week he may be heard 

 singing. 



Now, with regard to capturing these mites, I know 

 of no kind of trap in which they can be caught, and I 

 think it would be an absolute waste of time to attempt to 

 set one for a Golden Wren. Their habit of keeping so 

 much in plantations (generally of fir trees), and con- 

 tinually moving from one tree to another, prevents a trap 

 from being used with any success. I, however, by think- 

 ing the matter out and thoroughly studying their habits, 

 have overcome the difficult}^ and T think I may safeh' say 

 that I can claim to be the onl}' person who has made the 

 capture of the Gold-crest practically a certainty. I use an 

 ordinary fishing rod, and with it I have caught as many 

 as seven or eight in a day. 



No doubt there are many of my readers who wull 

 think a fishing rod for catching birds sounds absurd, and 

 I have no doubt people wonder what on earlh I can be 

 doing, when they see me holding a fishing rod upright 

 iu the middle of a fir- wood ; the}' know I am not fishing 

 — perhaps they think I have escaped from an asylum. 



