156 COMMON GOLD-CREST. 



shelter and an abundant food from the variety of 

 insects which frequent them, and which nestle in 

 the scales of their shoots and cones, but more parti- 

 cularly from the supply furnished by a genus 

 living on or infesting the Coniferce. We mean 

 the Eriosoma of entomologists, which has lately 

 given so much cause of grief to the patrons of 

 arboriculture by the ravages which it is appa- 

 rently able to commit on the silver firs. These 

 little birds undoubtedly do their best to check 

 its increase; and during winter, when they are 

 in a state of ova, they find a most abundant 

 supply of nourishment. But when we give the 

 middle of Scotland as an abundant locality, we 

 do not mean that it is the northern limit of the 

 Common Gold-Crest, for it extends far to the 

 northward wherever protection by cover is affor- 

 ded ; and it is mentioned by Low as inhabiting 

 the Orkneys. Dunn also, in his Ornithologist's 

 Guide, says he has shot it there, and had it 

 brought to him in Shetland.* The season when 

 met with, in these last localities, is not noticed ; 

 and we would rather suppose that the specimens 

 were procured during a migratory visit than that 

 they remained or bred in any of the islands. In 

 its habits this bird is most active, climbing among 

 the branches, and ofte* hanging from the moss 

 or fir cones, and occasionally resting on the bole 

 of the tree itself, and searching into its crevices. 

 They indeed exhibit all the activity and restless- 

 ness of the true Titmice, with groups of which 

 * P. 78. 



