92 REGULUS 



Roitdet ordinaire, French ; R,cyeznelo, Span. ; Rcgoio, Ital. ; 

 Goldhahnchen,GeYm&n', Goudhantje, Dutch; Gultoppet-Fuylekonge, 

 Dan. ; Fuglekonge, Norweg. ; Kungsf&gel, Swed. ; Hippiaincn, 

 Finn.; Kovolek jeltovolosui, Russ. 



( ad. (Germany). Forehead greyish brown ; frontal line black 

 merging into a broad black streak on each side of .the head enclosing a 

 yellow coronal patch deepening into orange in the centre, upper parts olive- 

 green ; wing and tail blackish brown margined with yellowish green ; 

 secondaries and wing-coverts tipped with white, and a black patch at base 

 of secondaries ; under parts greyish white, tinged with yellow ; bill 

 blackish brown ; legs brown ; iris hazel. Culmen 0'45, wing 2'1. tail 1*65, 

 tarsus 0*7 inch. The female is duller in colour, and the crown is lemon- 

 yellow, and the young resemble the female but lack the yellow on the 

 crown which is blackish brown and olivaceous. 



Hal). From Lapland and Northern Siberia to North Africa and 

 the Himalayas, and from the Azores and western Europe to 

 Eastern Siberia China and Japan. Azorean examples are said 

 to have the bill larger than European birds and have been 

 separated by Mr. Seebohm (Brit. B., 1, p. 454) under the name 

 of R. cristatus var. azoricus. In central Asia and the Himalayas 

 they have the nape tinged with greyish brown (var. himalayemis 

 Blyth) and in Japan, where it is said to be resident, the nape is 

 more decidedly greyish brown in tinge (v&r.japonicus Bp.) but 

 none of these forms are sufficiently distinct to be entitled to 

 even sub-specific rank. 



In general habits it is not shy and in winter may be found 

 consorting with Titmice and Creepers. It frequents well wooded 

 districts and affects conifer growth. It is active and restless 

 like the Titmice, and feeds chiefly on insects which it obtains 

 on trees and bushes ; flies, and occasionally, it is said, seeds form 

 a portion of its diet. Its note is a shrill feeble cry not unlike 

 that of a shrewmouse, and in the spring the male has a low but 

 not unmelodious song. Its nest is suspended under the small 

 outside branch of a fir or yew tree and is constructed of moss, 

 well lined with feathers, and the eggs 5 to 9 or 10 in number 

 are usually deposited in May, and are ochreous white, faintly 

 reddish in tinge when unblown, very minutely dotted with pale 

 ochreous brown at the larger end and measure about Ool. by 

 0-41. 



133. CAN ART AN GOLDCREST. 

 REGULUS TENERIFFJE. 



Regulut teneriffcr, Seebohm, Brit. B. i. p. 459 (1883) ; R. satelles, 

 Koenig, I.f.O. 1889, p. 263, 1890, Taf. v. fig. 1, Taf. viii. fig. 9, (eggs). 



