14 FIRE-CRESTED WRENCHIFFCHAFF. 



whitish superciliary eye-streak. Cheeks ashy. Upper parts 

 yellowish olive-green. Wings greyish brown. Tail ash-brown, 

 with yellowish margins ; under parts greyish brown, whitish 

 on abdomen. Bill dark brown. Legs brown. Length 3^ in. 

 Female, duller crown, browner and less denned black streak 

 round same. Young, crown minus yellow and black border. 



Language. Song, not extensive and very weak. Call-note, 

 a thin, wiry squeak, rather like the noise produced by a damp 

 wash-leather on a pane of glass. 



Habits. It spends nearly all its life fluttering about seeking 

 its food amongst the feathery branches of some non-deciduous 

 tree. Very Tit-like in its antics. Sociable and often seen in 

 parties. 



Food. Small insects and spiders ; in winter, seeds and small 

 berries. 



Nest. April onwards. Probably two broods. 



Site. Nearly always built on to a lateral branch of some 

 non-deciduous tree, suspended from one bough and supported 

 by another, or made fast to the smaller twigs of the bough 

 from which it hangs, especially spruce trees. 



Materials. Dry grass, leaves, moss, lichens, fir-needles, 

 wool, cobwebs, &c., all wonderfully interwoven and felted 

 together into an almost spherical ball, lined with a profusion 

 of small soft feathers. 



Eggs. Six to ten. Creamy white, closely mottled with 

 reddish brown, especially at large end. 



FIEE-CEESTED WEEN (Regulus ignicapillus). 



A casual visitor, usually between October and April, and 

 chiefly noted in the South and East. 



Plumage. Much like last, but differs in the more developed 

 white superciliary streak and yellowish frontal band ; also 

 a black streak from gape through eye, and slight moustachial 

 streak. Neck and shoulders brighter green. Bill black. Legs 

 brown. Length 3J in. Female, duller arid paler crest. Young, 

 no crest. 



Language. Song, not unlike the last, but less shrill ; a low 

 *' zit-zit." 



Habits. Generally much like the last. 



Food. Insects and spiders principally. 



Nidification. Breeds in Southern Europe. 



CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus rufus). 



Migrant; April to September. Fairly commonly distributed, 

 being most abundant in the South and south-western counties. 

 Hare in Scotland and Ireland. 



