popular iiicttanarg of &nimatett gtaturi. 569 



tion of the secondaries and inner webs of all 

 but the first primary, deep velvety black ; 

 the secondaries bright gamboge-yellow, with 

 a narrow edging of black along the inner 

 webs ; the first primary is entirely black, 

 the next have the tips and outer webs black 

 the half of the inner web and that part 

 of the shaft not running through the black 

 tip are yellow ; as the primaries approach 

 the secondaries, the yellow of the inner web 

 extends across the shaft, leaving only a black 

 edge on the outer web, which gradually 

 narrows until the tips only of both webs re- 

 main black ; bill yellow ; irides pale yellow ; 

 legs and feet black. The plumage of the 

 female is totally different, the prevailing 

 colour being a dull brownish white on the 

 hi-ad, throat, and breast, with the wings and 

 tail pale olive-brown : the young males re- 

 sembling them until they gradually change 

 to the livery of the adult. Their food con- 

 sists of ripe fruits, berries, and seeds. A few 

 specimens of this bird were lately brought 

 alive to this country, and were in the pos- 

 session of Mr. Warwick. 



REGULUS. A senus of Passerine birds, 

 sometimes called ~A'mrjlets, and identical 

 with or closely allied to the Wrens. The 

 GOIDSN-OKKSTKD Wiuix {Hcf/ulw cristatus) 

 is supposed to be the least of all European 

 birds ; being less than three inches and a 

 half in length, and when stripped of its 

 feathers the body is only about an inch 



GOL,iJEN -CHESTED WRBN. 

 (BEODLDB CRISI'ATOS.) 



long. The hill is slender and dark ; eyes 

 hazel ; on the top of its head the feathers 

 are of a bright orange colour, bordered on 

 each side with black, which forms an arch 

 above the eyes, and with which it some- 

 times conceals the crown, by contracting the 

 muscles of the head ; the upper part of the 

 body is yellowish olive green ; all the under 

 parts pale reddish white, tinged with green 

 on the sides ; the greater coverts of the wings 

 are dusky brown, edged with yellow, and 

 tipped with white : legs yellowish brown. 

 The female is distinguished by a pale yellow 

 crown ; and her whole plumage is less than 

 that of the male. This delightful little fairy 

 bird frequents the largest trees, such as 

 oaks, elms, tall pines, and firs, particularly 

 the first, in which it finds both food and 

 shelter ; in these it builds its nest, which is 

 suspended like a hammock, from a branch 

 by a kind of cordage made of the materials 

 of which the nest is chiefly composed ; it is 



of an oblong form, having an aperture on 

 one side, and is made principally of moss, 

 lined with the softest down, mixed with 

 slender filaments : the female lays from six 

 to a dozen eggs, scarcely larger than peas, 

 which are white, sprinkled with very small 

 dull-coloured spots. These birds are very 

 agile, and are almost continually in motion, 

 fluttering from branch to branch, creeping 

 on all sides of the trees, clinging to them in 

 every situation, and often hanging like the 

 Titmouse. Their food consists chiefly of the 

 smallest insects, which they find in the cre- 

 vices of the bark of trees, or catch on the 

 wing ; they also eat the eggs of insects, small 

 worms, and various sorts of seeds. The song 

 of the Golden-crested Wren is said to be 

 very melodious, but weaker than that of the 

 common Wren ; and it has besides a sharp 

 shrill cry, somewhat like that of the Grass- 

 hopper. The species is diffused throughout 

 Europe ; it stays with us the whole year ; 

 and is able to bear great extremes of tem- 

 perature. There are two other European 

 species, the It. ignicapillus and R. modestus, 

 the former of these is occasionally found in 

 this country. Three closely allied species 

 are found in North America. These are the 

 JR. Satrapa, the species regarded bjr Wilson 

 as similar to the European R. cristatm, the 

 R. Cuvieri, and the Jt. Calendula. 



REDSTART. (Ruticilla phomicurus.) 

 This is a beautiful little bird belonging to 

 the family Sj/Jviadce, rather more than 

 five inches in length. The bill, legs, and 

 claws are black ; the forehead is white ; the 

 crown of the head, hind part of the neck, 

 and the back are of a deep blue gray colour; 

 the cheeks and throat are black ; the breast, 

 rump, and sides are red ; and the two middle 

 feathers of the tail are brdwn ; the belly is 

 white. The female differs considerably from 

 the male : her colours are less vivid ; the 

 top of the head and back are ash gray ; chin 

 white. The Redstart visits us about the 



BKT58TABT, (K0TIOILLA PHCENIOD RU8.) 



middle of April, and takes its departure at 

 the end of September or the beginning of 

 October. Though wild and timorous, it is 

 frequently found in the midst of cities, 

 always choosing the most inaccessible places 

 for its residence : it likewise builds in the 

 holes of forest trees; or in high and danger- 

 ous precipices. Its nest is chiefly composed 

 of moss, lined with hair and feathers. It ia 



3c 3 



