SYLVIA Reguliis. 

 Gold-crest. Golden-crested Warbler. 



Family, Sylviadse. Sub-family, Sylvianae. Nob. 



(See North. Zool. Vol. 2.) 



Generic Character. 



JB 27/ very weak, considerably compressed, nearly straight; the tip bent 

 and notched : r«c/?<* bristled. TFm^* moderate. Tai/ rather 

 short. 



Sub-genera. Acanthiza. Horsf.SfVig. Phyllopneusle. Meyer. pars. 



Specific Character. 



Sides of the head tvithout any indication of ivhite hands, crest of 

 the male yellow-orange, bill very iceak. Temminck. 



Sylvia Regulus. Tem. Man. 1. 229. Roitelet ordinaire. 



Motacilla Regnlus. Linn. 1. 338. 



Golden-crested Wren. Montague, Ornith: Did. 2. p. — See par- 

 ticularly the Introduction to Vol. 1. p. 34. 



With the exception of the Humming Birds, the Gold crests 

 are the smallest birds in creation. The natural size of 

 the only species found in this country is here represented; 

 while the weight seldom exceeds eighty grains. Notwith- 

 standing its delicate structure, this beautiful little bird 

 braves the severest winters of Northern Europe: it is found 

 in Denmark fMiill. Zool. Dan. J, and extends to the 

 borders of the Arctic Circle, (Temm.J Tt is more frequent 

 with us than is generally supposed, but its diminitive size 

 screens it from observation. It is perpetually in motion: 

 hopping among the branches, examining every leaf and 

 spray, and vk^ill frequently catch minute insects that en- 

 deavour to escape, by darting at them like a Flycatcher : 

 we have repeatedly watched a pair of these birds which fre- 

 quented our garden at Warwick, in the middle of wint(^r, 

 for three years : their favourite resort was an old fir-tree, 

 which they regularly and carefully explored, much in the 

 manner of the Titmice fParii. J 



If the name of Sylvia is to be retained in Ornithological 

 systems, it should obviously be applied to this, which has 

 been correctly thought the typical group of the whole family. 

 Acanthiza, for reasons elsewhere explained, appears a sub- 

 ordinate type, and Phyllopnciiste cannot be adopted, with- 

 out a glaring violation of natural affinities. 



