250 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



woven together with cobwebs and a little hair, externally covered 

 with lichens and lined with a great profusion of feathers of various 

 kinds, sometimes over 2,000 in number. Eggs. 8 to 12, but 

 instances are on record where up to 20 have been found in one nest, 

 probably due to the presence of more than one female. Markings 

 rather variable, sometimes almost obsolete, aj, other times a zone 

 or cap of spots or freely speckled with light reddish. Average of 

 100 eggs, 14.2x11 mm. Breeding-season. The nest is built in 

 March, but the full clutch is generally ready about mid-April in 

 south England, or late April in the north. Incubation. Probably 

 about 12 days, chiefly by hen, but both sexes roost in nest. Two 

 broods sometimes at any rate. 



FOOD. Chiefly insects, their larvae and eggs (coleoptera, especially 

 weevils, small lepidoptera, especially the Tineince, hymenoptera, 

 scale insects), occasionally centipedes, seeds, fragments of buds, 

 and frequently spiders. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Resident. Generally distributed in 

 most parts, but rare in some very barren districts and in Isle of 

 Man ; only once 0. Hebrides (" company " Lewis, 1903), never 

 Orkneys, only once (four seen April, 1860) Shetlands may have been 

 M. c. caudatus, very rare Caithness and extreme north-west Scotland, 

 but common, if somewhat local, in other parts. (Almost exter- 

 minated in many parts by severe winter of 1 916-17, is now gradually 

 recovering its numbers.) 



Genus REGULUS Vieill. 



REGULUS Cuvier, Le9ons d'Anat. Comp. i, tab. n (1800 Type by 

 tautonymy and monotypic : " Le Roitelet " Molacilla Regulus L. apud 

 Cuvier, Tabl. Elem. d'Hist. Nat., p. 220, 1798. Cf. Opinion Nomencl. 39). 



The " Goldcrests " differ in many ways from other Paridce 

 and are considered by some ornithologists even worthy of family 

 rank, being separated as " Regulidce." They are all of very small 

 size, the bill is thin and slender, with an almost straight culmen. 

 Nostrils near base of bill, small, with an operculum, being partially 

 covered by one single somewhat stiff plume, only R. calendula of 

 North America having several bristles. Rictal bristles soft. Wings 

 fairly long, rounded at tip ; 1st primary one-third or half as long 

 as 2nd ; in all Palsearctic forms at least 4th to 6th primaries longest. 

 Tail very slightly emarginated, the rectrices pointed at tip. Tarsus 

 long and slender, about one-third as long as wing, much longer 

 than middle toe with claw, front " booted." Crown of adults 

 with brilliant coloration, except in $ of R. calendula, generally 



