INSESSORES. 55 



direction, creeping more like a mouse than a bird, 

 and, on reaching the highest spray, it pours forth a 

 rapid, lively song, and then either dives out of 

 sight or flies off to another bush, there to resume 

 its search. Sometimes I have seen it rise into the 

 air, and, like the Whitethroat, remain for several 

 seconds, dancing and jerking in the air, singing 

 noisily the whole time. In appearance it is one of 

 the prettiest of our Warblers, for the rich claret 

 colour of the under parts, and its bright pink eye, 

 contrast greatly with the plain sombre hue of our 

 other Sylviadae. I have seen this species on Stan- 

 more Common and Harrow Weald Common. A 

 birdcatcher residing at Hampstead tells me that 

 he has caught Dartford Warblers on Hampstead 

 Heath, and has found their nests after a patient 

 search. Tliis species has also been obtained on Old 

 Oak Common and Wormwood Scrubs. 



Golden-crested Eegulus, Regulus cristatus. 

 This beautiful little bird appears unable to bear 

 much cold, and it is, doubtless, on this account 

 that it moves southwards at the approach of winter, 

 and is more numerous here during that season than 

 at any other time of year. It is exceptional, I 

 think, to find any remaining here to breed, although 

 I have observed a pair building in some fir-trees in 

 Colin Deep Lane, Hendon, and in the summer of 

 1863 a nest with six eggs was taken at Elstree. A 

 friend residing at Hampstead tells me that the 



