86 BRITISH BIRDS WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



with narrower blackish streak. In the young the crown is slightly darker than 

 the back, but shows no trace of yellow or black. 



In many illustrations this bird is represented with a well-defined crest ; but, 

 so far as I have seen, the feathers of the crown seem to be erected very slightly, 

 if at all ; though, when the little creature looks downwards, the feathers at the 

 back of the crown project slightly above those of the nape. Possibly under great 

 excitement the feathers of the crown would be partially raised as they are in 

 many birds ; but whether, even then, they would stick up like the quills of the 

 " prickly porcupine," as artists delight in representing them as doing, is, I think 

 questionable. 



Mr. Frohawk, who has had considerable experience of the Gold-crest, tells me 

 that in the autumn this species may frequently be met with singly, or in pairs ; 

 but in the winter it is generally seen in flocks, and often in company of Long- 

 tailed Tits. In the latter season it haunts pine-forests, as well as hedges ; but in 

 the breeding season plantations of spruce and larch are its favourite resorts. The 

 male sings continuously in the vicinity of its nest, and if disturbed the old birds 

 creep about incessantly near to their home with quivering wings. 



Furthermore, Mr. Frohawk says that he has never known a Gold-crest to 

 erect a crest; the feathers of the head are, however, somewhat expanded laterally 

 so as to expose the golden stripe in its full beauty, this stripe being very narrow 

 when the bird is in repose. Mr. Staines, of Penge, who has on several occasions 

 attempted to keep the Gold-crest as a cage bird, confirms Mr. Frohawk's opinion 

 in all particulars : he has never seen the bird erect, though he has seen it expand 

 its crest. 



Lord Lilford (Birds of Northamptonshire) says : " The call-note of the Gold- 

 crest is peculiar and constantly repeated whilst the birds are on their excursions. 

 In very cold weather I have found a family of perhaps a dozen of these little 

 birds clustered together for warmth beneath the snow-laden bough of an old yew- 

 tree, to the under surface of which the uppermost birds were clinging by their 

 feet, whilst, as far as I could see, the others clung to them and to one another, 

 so as to form a closely packed feathery ball. I happened to notice this by chance, 

 and, in the gloom of the overhanging boughs, thought it was an old nest, but on 

 touching it with the end of a walking-stick, the supposed nest dissolved itself into 

 a number of these minute creatures, who did not appear much alarmed, but dis- 

 persed themselves on the adjoining boughs, and, no doubt, soon resumed their 

 previous formation, which I was sorry to have disturbed. Although the nests of 

 the Gold-crest are generally placed under the branches of a yew or a fir tree, we have 

 twice found them in a thin fence at about five feet from the ground ; the materials 



