THE GOLD-CREST 33 
a practised observer, they are likely to be mistaken for one another. 
In song, however, they differ materially, and as this is begun early, 
and continued till very late in the season, it affords ready means 
of discriminating the species. The Wood-warbler, or Wood-wren 
as it is now called, arrives in England towards the end of April, 
and betakes itself to woodland districts, where it spends the greater 
portion of its time among the upper branches of lofty trees, constantly 
moving from place to place with rapid irregular flight, and fre- 
quently repeating its short and peculiar song. It feeds exclusively 
on insects, which it occasionally catches on the wing. Its song is 
difficult to describe. The name by which it is popularly known 
in some parts of France, Touite, is derived from the syllable 
‘tweet’, which, rapidly and continuously repeated many times, 
constitutes its song. These notes are uttered in a sweet tone, and 
with a tremulous accent, and are unlike those of any other bird. 
Gilbert White, who appears to have been the first who noticed the 
bird, describes it as ‘‘ joyous, easy,and laughing’’. The last notes 
of its strain are accompanied bya quivering of the wings and tail, 
which accounts for their tremulous sound. 
The Wood-warbler is much less frequent than either the Willow- 
warbler or Chiff-chaff, and on a close inspection may be distin- 
guished by its superior size, by the pure white of its under tail- 
coverts, and by the bright yellow line above the eye. The nest 
is composed of grass, ferns, and moss, and lined with fine grass and 
hair ; it is covered with a dome, an entrance being left sufficiently 
large to allow its contents to be seen, and is placed on the ground, 
in or near a wood, among thick herbage, or against the stump of 
a tree. The eggs are from five to seven in number, almost round, 
and so thickly spotted with purple-brown that the ground is almost 
invisible. 
X 
Suz-Famiry REGULINZ 
THE GOLD-CREST 
REGULUS CRISTATUS 
Upper parts olive, tinged with yellow; cheeks ash colour, without streaks ; 
wing greyish brown, with two transverse white bands; crest bright 
yellow, tipped with orange and bounded on each side by a black line ; 
under parts yellowish grey. In the female the crest is lemon colour, 
and the other tints are less brilliant. Each nostril is covered by one buff 
feather. Length three inches and a half. Eggs cream colour, minutely 
mottled at one end, 
THE Gold-crest, Golden-crested Regulus, or Golden-crested 
Wren, though not exceeding in dimensions some of the larger 
humming-birds, and though decorated with a crest equalling in 
B.B. D ( 
