BEGULUS 93 



ad. (TenerifFe). Differs from R. cristatus merely in having the black 

 streak bordering the crown broader and continued across the forehead and 

 the frontal line bordering the bill greyish white. Culmen 0'45, wing 2 '05, 

 tail 1*5, tarsus 0'75 inch. 



Hob. The Canaries where it is resident. 



Differs in no respect in its habits and nidification, and its eggs 

 closely resemble those of R. cristatus. 



134. FIRE-CRESTED WREN. 

 REGULUS IGNICAPILLUS. 



Begulus iymcapillus, (Brehm.) in Temm. Man d'Orn. i. p. 232 (1820) ; 

 Hewitson, i. p. 148, pi. xxxviii. fig. 3 ; Naumann, iii. p. 983, Taf, 

 93, figs. 4, 5, 6 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 148, fig. 2 ; id., B. of Gt. Brit! 

 ii. pi. 70 ; Newton, i. p. 456 ; Dresser, ii. p. 459, pi. 72, fig. 1, 73, 

 fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 83 ; Saunders, p. 59 ; 

 Lilford, iii. p. 76, pi. 38. 



Boitelet a triple bandeau, French ; Estrellinha, Portug. ; 

 Estrclliua, Span. ; Fiorrancino, Ital. ; Fuerkopjiges-G-oldhahnchen, 

 German ; Vuurgoudliaantje, Dutch : Korolck-crasnovolosey , Russ. 



ad. (Germany). Differs from R. cristatus in having the forehead 

 greyish white, above which is a black line joining the sides of the crest 

 where it forms a broad streak on each side of the crown ; from the forehead 

 above the eye to the nape is a greyish white streak ; a blackish streak 

 passes through the eye from the lores which are blackish, and a third dark 

 streak from the base of the lower mandible downwards and backwards ; 

 crown rich flame orange narrowly bordered with yellow ; sides 

 of the neck below the nape rich golden green. Culmen 0'42, wing 

 2'12, tail 1'75, tarsus 0'7 inch. The female is rather duller and has the 

 crown bright lemon-yellow ; the young bird resembles the female but is 

 duller in colour, and the nestling lacks the yellow and the black stripes on 

 the head and has the crown like the back but rather darker. 



Hal. Southern and Central Europe, north to Denmark ; is 

 said to be a resident in Algeria and has been recorded from as 

 far east as Asia Minor where it is common in the Taurus 

 range ; is only a rare visitant to Great Britain and has not yet 

 been met with in Ireland. 



In general habits it differs but little from the Goldcrest but 

 is if anything rather more silent. The nest resembles that of 

 the Goldcrest and is generally placed in a fir tree at some 

 altitude, but sometimes low down and even in a bush. The 

 eggs which are deposited early in May may readily be distin- 

 guished from those of the Goldcrest in being reddish and not 



