126 THE BIRDS OF THE WOODS 



more restless bird than all its kindred, though rarely venturing out of the bushes, 



and in most localities never singing in the open. 



Its southern migration takes it to Africa, along the valley of the Nile on the 



east and the Senegal on the west, as well as to Arabia and Persia. It is a more 



or less resident species in Greece, Italy, and Spain ; and from these countries it 



spreads northward over a great part of Europe to close on the Arctic Circle. To 



the east its range ends in Perm, where it is replaced by P. tristis ; to the west it 



was believed to extend to the Canaries until the birds resident there were found 



to belong to another species, P. fortunatus. In Britain it is the earliest spring 



migrant, and is found right up to Caithness. In certain parts of the south of 



England it is resident, as it is all through central and southern Europe, where its 



numbers are increased by migration. The chiff-chaff is a trifle under 5 inches 



long. The full-grown males are olive-green above and whitish below, with the 



wing-coverts dusky brown, like the primaries, and the six outer ones notched ; the 



tail is the same colour as the wings but edged with olive. There is a faint greyish 



white eye-stripe, which is buff" in the autumn when the whole plumage becomes 



greyer. The plumage of both sexes is alike. The chiff-chaff generally sings from 



near the top of a tree, the short song ending in the syllables from which it gets 



its popular name. It is apparently untiring in the repetition of its melody, and 



sings all day except when the female is on the eggs, at which period the song is 



heard only in the evening and in the morning, especially at sunrise. The nest is 



domed, placed within a foot of the ground, and is made of grass, leaves, and moss 



lined with feathers. The eggs are very small, and cream-coloured, spotted with 



purplish brown. The food consists of insects and their larvae. 



The tiny goldcrests are in many respects not unlike the warblers, 

 Goldcrest „ , . , •','> ,. ,. . , , , ,f , , ., . , 



from which they are distinguished by the coloured crown, the single 



feather on the nostril, and their beautiful nests of green moss, cobwebs, hair, and 

 wool. The goldcrest (Regwlus cristatus) is a bird of the pine-woods, and has a 

 bright orange crown, bordered with black and fronted with yellow, with no stripe 

 through or below the eye. It is one of the smallest of European birds ; its 

 total length being about 3i inches, and its weight only 5 grammes. On the 

 autumn migration it is much oftener seen than in summer, especially in gardens 

 and plantations, but even then it is generally found among conifers and other 

 evergreens. In March and April it returns to its nesting-places amongst the firs 

 and yews. The nest, as a rule, is hung like a hammock from a branch, and so 

 placed that the sun may reach it, the tiny entrance-hole being at the top. The 

 goldcrest is generally found in parties of four or more, and associates with 

 tits and creepers. When on the move, it flutters busily from twig to twig, some- 

 times hanging upside-down on the branches, in search of the insects which form 

 its food. During pairing-time its song is audible at a distance of about a hundred 

 yards, but at other seasons is very low, although always melodious ; it consists of 

 a frequent repetition of if -he, if-he, if-he, the call being a much more powerful 

 zit, zit. In the mountains the goldcrest is found as high as pine-trees grow, 

 although in southern Europe it seldom breeds there. In Europe its range 

 extends as far north as the limit of pines, and in Asia from the north of 

 Siberia to the farthest east. Though usually classed as resident, considerable 



