344 



Family EEGULID^E. 



The intrinsic muscles of the syrinx fixed to the ends of the 

 bronchial semi-rings ; the edges of both mandibles smooth ; hinder 

 aspect of tarsus bilaminated ; wing with ten primaries ; tongue 

 non-tubular ; nostrils clear of the line of the forehead, the space 

 between the nostril and the edge of the mandible less than the space 

 between the nostril and the culmen ; plumage of the nestling 

 resembling that of the adult female, but paler ; rectrices twelve ; 

 each nostril covered by a single stiff feather ; sexes slightly dif- 

 ferent ; a single moult. 



The only genus of this family contains the Goldcrests, of which 

 four species are known. These birds possess a character which 

 suffices to separate them from all the other Passeres, viz. a stiff, 

 small, and perfect feather over each nostril. This character is 

 sufficiently important, in my opinion, to render it desirable to 

 elevate the Goldcrests to the rank of a family. 



The single moult and the simple plumage of the nestling ally 

 the Regulidce to the Crater op odidce ; and the former appear to be 

 very closely connected with the last few genera of the Timeliince, 

 such as Proparus and Lioparus, the hairs over the nostrils in these 

 being replaced by a feather in Regulus, to serve some purpose 

 in its economy which has not yet been discovered. 



One species of Reyulus is a well-known British bird, and the 

 same form is found in India. 



In the RegvJidcB the bill is slender, entire, and about one third 

 the length of the head ; the rictal bristles are long, and the head 

 is subcrested, with a bright patch of feathers on the crown and 

 some coronal streaks ; the wing is short and curved, the first pri- 

 mary small and the second about equal to the eighth ; the tail is 

 composed of twelve feathers (not of ten, as erroneously stated by 

 Jerdon) and slightly forked ; the tarsus and the hind claw are 

 strong, but the foot is feeble. 



Genus REGULUS, Cuvier, 1800. 

 Characters the same as those of the Family. 



358. Regulus cristatus. The Goldcrest. 



Motacilla regulus, Linn. 8yst. Nat. \, p. 3.38 (1766). 

 Regulus cristatus, Koch, System d. baier. Zool. p. 199 (1816) ; Blyth, 

 Cat. p. 186; Hume, Cat. no. 580; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 67 ; 



