120 NOTES ON THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 



breeding season, especially if planted with yew- 

 trees or spruce-firs of a moderate height. 



In their habits the Reguli are extremely active 

 and lively, even exceeding the pari or tits in this 

 respect, seeming to be perpetually in motion, and 

 searching the bark, branches, and decayed trunks of 

 trees with great assiduity in search of their food. 

 This consists almost entirely of insects, principally 

 of the smaller caterpillars and wood -boring larvae, 

 though in the autumn they feed on the flies which 

 are attracted by the flowers of the ivy. 



I have frequently seen the golden- crested wren 

 (R. cristatus) seize insects on the wing in the 

 same manner as the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa 

 grisola), pursuing the smaller lepidoptera, and the 

 hovering flies (Syrpliidce) with great rapidity, and 

 generally succeeding in capturing its prey. During 

 the winter they are frequently much pressed for 

 food, especially in severe frosts. At such times 

 they approach much nearer human dwellings than 

 is their usual custom, and become almost as familiar 

 as the tits during these seasons. They do not 

 appear to suffer from the inclemency of the weather, 

 though no doubt during a protracted period of 

 severe weather many individuals fall victims to it 



At such times they may be seen in small parties 

 of from four or five to a dozen, traversing the 

 bushes with great agility, hanging .to the twigs in 



