143 



GOLDCREST. 



GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 

 GOLDEN-CROWNED WREN. 



Regulus cristatus, FLEMING. RAY. 



" auncapilltis, SELBY. JENYNS. 



" vulgaris, GOULD. 



Motacilla regulus, MONTAGU. 



Sylvia regulus, PENNANT. TEMMINCK. 



Regulus A diminutive of Rex a king. Cristatus Crested. 



THE Goldcrest, the smallest of our British Birds, is a European 

 species, and its northern range extends to the Arctic circle, 

 being found in part of Russia and Siberia, Denmark, Nor- 

 way, and Sweden, and south to Germany and the shores of 

 the Mediterranean. It has been obtained also in Asia, in 

 Persia, and, according to Temminck, in Japan. 



This truly elegant and diminutive bird is generally distributed 

 over the whole of England, from the 'Land's End to John 

 O'Groat's House;' as also in Wales, Scotland, and in Ireland. 

 It is more common in the north than in the south. In 

 Yorkshire it is plentiful. In Orkney it is pretty numerous 

 during winter; many arrive there in October and November, 

 during gales from the east. It occurs also in Shetland. 



Two of these little birds are stated in the 'Zoologist,' 

 page 188, by Mr. George Swaysland, to have been met with 

 at sea, forty miles from land. They remain with us all the 

 year through, at least many of them do. 



Additional ones come over to us in the autumn, and in 

 like manner some again depart in the spring. In the mid- 

 land counties fresh parties come in December, and some 

 depart in March. On the Norfolk coast there are arrivals 

 every year in October and November, and the birds are at 

 first often so exhausted as to suffer themselves to be taken 



