FIRE-CRESTED REGULUS. 139 



Rev. E. H. Browne has watched this species during the 

 summer, near his residence, at Bio' Norton, in Norfolk, 

 and has no doubt it breeds there." It is, of course, 

 quite possible that such may have been the case, but it 

 is, also, far more probable that in this, as in many- 

 instances that have come under my own observation, the 

 rich colour on the heads of adult male gold-crests may 

 have caused them to be mistaken for the rarer species ; 

 an error which the name of fire-crest tends much to per- 

 petuate, since the tints of the crest in this bird (as seen 

 by Mr. Fisher's remarks) form by no means its only or 

 most decided distinction. Mr. Gould, in describing the 

 chief characteristics of the two species, says "The 

 fire-crest is larger than the gold-crest, has the centre of 

 the crown orange red, the forehead crossed by a band of 

 buff, terminating in a distinct stripe of white, which 

 surmounts the eye and extends far towards the occiput, 

 while the lores and the ear coverts are blackish brown, 

 and the sides of the neck and upper surface sulphur 

 green, none of which features are found in the common 

 species." The note of this bird has been also described 

 as " shorter, not so shrill, and pitched in a different 

 key to that of the common species." 



PARUS MAJOR, Linnseus. 

 GEEAT TITMOUSE. 



Always active and sprightly our various species of 

 titmice, though with no real song, have nevertheless 

 many powers of attraction, and their varied and 

 occasionally harsh notes are welcomed at a time 

 when few resident species remain in the vicinity of 

 our homes. Omnivorous almost in diet, sharp and 

 fearless by nature, and in action almost realizing 



T2 



