FIRE- CRESTED WREN. 459 



forests of Constantine. It has also been observed in the 

 Balearic Islands and in various parts of Spain, while in 

 Portugal it is abundant. It winters in the South of France 

 and Vieillot found it breeding near Rouen. In Belgium, as 

 already mentioned, it is ordinarily a bird of double passage, 

 though it has been said to occur also in winter, and in Hol- 

 land it only appears during its migration. 



The bill is black, and rather stouter at the base than that 

 of the Golden-crested Wren : the irides hazel : on the cheek 

 above the eye, and also below it, a greyish- white streak ; 

 at the base of the crest on each side a black streak ; from 

 the gape to the eye, and over the ear-coverts, a second black 

 streak ; and from the lower mandible, passing downwards 

 and backwards, a third black streak ; the forehead greyish- 

 white, generally tinged with rufous ; the crest of a much 

 redder-orange than that of the preceding species ; the nape, 

 back and upper tail-coverts, olive-green, inclining to orange ; 

 the sides of the neck golden-green ; the lesser wing-coverts 

 tipped with white ; coverts of the primaries black ; those 

 of the secondaries tipped with white, overlying a black spot 

 on the base of the secondaries and tertials ; quills blackish- 

 brown, edged with green — the tertials tipped outwardly with 

 dirty white ; the tail-feathers longer than those of the 

 Golden-crested Wren ; all the lower parts greyish-brown ; 

 legs, toes and claws, brown. 



The whole length nearly four inches. From the carpus 

 to the end of the primaries, two inches. 



The young of the year are stated by Mr. Jenyns, " to be 

 distinguished from those of the last species by the longer 

 and broader bill : cheeks cinereous, without any appearance 

 of the longitudinal streaks : crest of a pale lemon-yellow, 

 scarcely developed : forehead, and sides of the neck, cinereous; 

 upper parts not so bright as in the adult : under parts 

 cinereous, tinged with yellow." 



The black streak in which the eye is placed is the character 

 by which this species can be most readily distinguished from 

 the preceding. Its American representative with which it 

 was so long confounded wants the golden-green colour of the 

 sides of the neck. 



