THE RUBY-CROWNED WREN. 37 
lashed, with ropes of vegetable fibe. The fronds 
of the fir form admirable sunshades, or umbrellas, 
as circumstances may require. The inside is lined 
with feathers, soft hair, and spiders’ web—the web 
seems used for the purpose of warping the other 
materials tightly together; a partial dome covers 
the top, under which is the entrance-hole. The 
circumference of the nest is about nine inches. 
Six is about the usual number of eggs laid. 
In the valley of the Columbia the golden-crests 
begin building in June, and on Vancouver Island 
somewhat earlier. Titsand nuthatches generally 
nest in holes, in the same tree the wren selects 
for her pendant nursery. 
The general colouring of this handsome little 
bird is yellowish-olive inclining to green, the 
head being crowned with a tuft of bright golden- 
orange feathers. Their song, soft and mellow, is 
trilled out nervously, like the tremulous notes of 
young Lady shaky, on her first vocal performance. 
A very frequent companion of the Tits is the 
Ruby-crowned Wren (Regulus calendula), some- 
what larger than the Golden Crest, of ‘a brighter 
green on the back and neck, and more yellow 
under the wings. The crown, instead of being 
orange, is bright scarlet. I met with it on both 
slopes of the Cascades. It resembles the golden- 
