52 THE WARBLERS 



the cliff' is alive with them, and they disposed themselves merrily 

 among the vessels and boats on the shore, actively pursuing aquatic 

 insects in the sea-wrack which is washed up by the tide, even 

 to the very edge of the foaming waves." J 



The nestlings receive a very liberal diet of flies and insects in 

 general especially those tiny spiders which abound in evergreen 

 shrubs. Small caterpillars also are sometimes brought. 



When feeding the young, I have often seen the adult birds 

 hawking for flies in mid-air, and they are really quite expert fly- 

 catchers, but I have never observed them disporting themselves in 

 this manner out of the breeding season. 



Early in February the male begins his short shrill song, which 

 consists of two notes repeated five or six times, and ending in a rapid 

 trill. It is unmistakable when once heard, but might be confounded 

 with the great tit's call-notes, for even in this respect the goldcrest 

 resembles the titmice more than the warblers. His song contains 

 no real melody, but is merely a "joyful noise " entirely lacking in the 

 polished harmonies of his more musical brethren. But penetrating 

 as the goldcrest's song undoubtedly is, the bird itself is often difficult 

 to see amongst the thick foliage he delights to frequent. He sings 

 regularly from February until June, and again from August till the 

 middle of October. 



About the beginning of March these birds cease to be gregarious, 

 and are then only to be seen in pairs. The crest of the male is 

 lemon-yellow with a beautiful central band of orange, lustrous as if 

 worked in silk. The head of his little mate lacks the orange centre. 

 When courting, the male displays this superior emblem of royalty to 

 full advantage. He also puffs out the feathers of his back and 

 flanks : which, being unusually long and soft, give him the appearance 

 of a ball of down. He then shivers his wings and drags them along 

 the branch upon which he happens to be showing off after the 

 approved manner of lovesick Warblers. Sometimes this attitude 



1 Heligoland as an Ornithological Observatory, p. 317. 



