FIRE-CRESTED REGULUS. 379 



The beak is black, and rather stouter at the base than 

 that of the Gold Crest ; the irides hazel ; on the cheek 

 above the eye, and also below it, a greyish white streak ; 

 at the base of the crest on each side a black streak ; from 

 the angle of the beak to the eye, and over the ear- coverts, 

 a second black streak ; and from the lower mandible, 

 passing downwards and backwards, a third black streak, 

 producing three dark lines contrasted with the two light- 

 coloured lines on the sides of the head, and hence the 

 French name "triple bandeau;" the forehead greyish 

 white, tinged with red ; the crest large, and of a much 

 more vivid reddish colour than that of the same parts in 

 the Gold Crest ; the nape, back, and upper tail -co verts, 

 olive -green, but with less of the brown and more of the 

 yellow than in the other species, particularly on the sides 

 of the neck; great coverts of the primaries tipped with 

 white ; base of the secondaries black ; wing and tail- 

 feathers brownish black, edged with green ; the tail- 

 feathers longer than those of the Gold Crest ; all the 

 under parts greyish white ; legs, toes, and claws, brown. 



Whole length near four inches. From the carpus to the 

 end of the primaries, two inches ; the first quill very short ; 

 the second shorter than the third ; the fourth and fifth 

 nearly equal, and the longest in the wing. 



The young of the year are stated by Mr. Jenyns, " to 

 be distinguished from those of the last species by the 

 longer and broader bill ; cheeks cinereous, without any ap- 

 pearance of the longitudinal streaks ; crest of a pale lemon 

 yellow, scarcely developed ; forehead and sides of the neck, 

 cinereous ; upper parts not so bright as in the adult ; 

 under parts cinereous, tinged with yellow." 



