This morning I saw the golden-crowned wren, whose crown 

 glitters like burnished gold. It often hangs like a titmouse, with 

 its back downwards. G. W. 



The Fairy Goldcrest 



THE little gold-crested wren is the smallest bird in 

 Europe one of the choicest birds in the world. 



It seems marvellous that this fairy-like midget 

 should brave the crossing of seas ; but numbers of 

 them come in to us from the Continent in the autumn. 



This is a gallant little bird, and often we may watch 

 him on one side of a bush, while two or three feet away, 

 on the other side or inside, he sings his tiny tinkling 

 song just two rapidly uttered notes, repeated. 



The cock goldcrest will hover, hi the nesting-time, 

 above .the place where his hen sits, with quickly 

 beating wings, chirping sharply a most charming 

 little dance in the air. 



The dainty nest is suspended beneath the branch of 

 a yew or fir, woven of leaves, moss, and webs, lined 

 with feathers. The little eggs are whitish, spotted 

 at the larger end with reddish brown very delicate 

 and fragile. 



So light and small are the birds that there may be 

 ten young ones in the frail, swinging cradle. 



ISO 



