THE GOLD-CKESTED WEEN. 423 



brownish yellow ; a black stripe extends from the corners of 

 the beak to the eyes ; above the eyes is a white streak, and 

 under them a spot of the same colour ; the top of the head is 

 saffron, edged on each side with a golden yellow, and sur- 

 rounded in front and on the sides with a black band. The 

 cheeks are ashen grey; the sides of the neck a yellowish 

 green ; the back, shoulders, and rump, the colour of a Green- 

 finch ; the throat a yellowish white ; the under part of the 

 body a dirty white; the wing coverts blackish grey with 

 yellow edges on the narrow feathers, the last having little 

 white points, those of the second row being white at the 

 roots ; the tail blackish grey, edged with green. 



In the female, the top of the head is golden yellow ; the 

 forehead and wings are a plain grey. 



Habitat. When wild, these pretty little birds are at home 

 all over the Old World. They principally frequent pine and fir 

 woods. They appear to be birds of passage only in northern 

 regions, going away in October, and returning in March at 

 least, their flight is often remarked at those seasons in Ger- 

 many ; and in May, the hedges are often full of them. The 

 native ones are not birds of passage, for they are noticed all 

 the year round. In winter they assemble in small companies, 

 and fly about with the Tits, in search of food. 



In the house the bell-shaped cage is the best. Several are 

 sometimes put into a trellised enclosure, in which a small pine 

 or fir tree must be placed. When reared from the nest, they 

 may be accustomed to perch on a tree in the open room. They 

 do not willingly leave it, and when there are many, they sit 

 all in a row close together on a bough, and so sleep. 



Food. In the wild state, this consists of all kinds of insects, 

 and their eggs. As they open the mouth very wide, they are 

 able to swallow large flies. In the aviary they are easily ac- 

 customed to the paste already prescribed for the Nightingale, 

 by giving them half-dead flies. They afterwards become fond 

 of crushed hemp seed. They must not be deprived of insect 

 food too suddenly, and they will always occasionally need flies, 

 meal worms cut small, and dry or fresh ants' eggs. To keep 

 them healthy and prolong their life, care must be taken that 

 their paste is neither too stiff or too moist. JSTor must they 

 be allowed to touch rape or caraelia seed, either of which 

 would immediately kill them. 



