THE GOLD-CRESTED KINGLET. 123 



the birch for insects, and sometimes ejecting the seeds 

 like the Titmouse. Their low, sweet, but singularly 

 piercing call notes are heard in all directions. You look 

 to the oak tree, standing forth in solitary grandeur, and 

 think they are there, but you cannot perceive them ; 

 you scan the branches of a distant shrub, and think you 

 have found them at last, but in vain. Indeed, they appear 

 to be wherever you happen to direct your attention ; their 

 notes are so shrill and piercing, ay, almost as much so as 

 the cries of the bat winnowing his way through the still 

 air of a summer evening ; while after all they are within 

 a few yards of you, it may be feet, probably exploring 

 the branches of the tree beside which you are standing. 

 Sometimes the sunlight catches on their fiery streak of 

 plumage on the crown of the head, causing it to shine 

 with metallic splendour like burnished gold. Now they 

 hop from branch to branch ; then, fluttering in the air, 

 they catch a passing insect, and with feeble though 

 piercing notes pass on to the next bush, for they seem 

 to prefer the lower branches and bushes to the tops of 

 the trees, though if repeatedly disturbed they take refuge 

 in the tallest trees. Now they hang suspended from a 

 long slender twig, their weight causing it to swing to and 

 fro with graceful motion ; and then on fluttering pinion 

 they hover above some tempting seed case or bud, which 

 promises to reward their search. Now they drop silently 

 into the heather and explore its wiry branches in search 

 of seeds and insects, or chase each other in sportive 

 glee, darting like animated meteors through the branches. 

 Now they alight in the gorse bushes and hop from spray 

 to spray, their lovely crests appearing like the golden 

 blooms. As the males, conspicuous by their brighter 

 crests, course over the twigs, they sometimes, autumn 

 though it be, burst out into song, and utter a few notes 



