THE BIRDS OF CORNWALL. 189 



Gold Crest ; resident, fairly common and generally distribu- 

 ted, but not nearly so abundant as twenty years ago ; in the 

 autumn its numbers often reinforced by great immigration 

 flocks or "waves" from the continent; at Scilly an autumn 

 and winter visitor : the most restless of a restless family ; nests 

 throughout Europe from the Northern limit of Fir trees down 

 to the Mediterranean. 



Fire Crest ; a casual winter visitor, breeding in central and 

 southern Euro2:)e ; has occurred so regularly in late years from 

 Truro westward to Scilly that it might be regarded as a rare but 

 regular winter visitor. 



Chiff Chaff ; the first of our summer migrants to arrive ; 

 earliest record for Falmouth, March 2nd ; seen in Truro last year 

 9th March, and usually arriving in numbers about the end of 

 that month ; some occasionally spend the winter in Cornwall ; 

 has been seen at Scilly in May, but no nest recorded ; commonly 

 distributed throughout the county ; winters in northern Africa 

 and from Asia Minor southward. 



Willow Wren ; a summer migrant wintering around the 

 Mediterranean and in the oases of the Sahara ; occurs in con- 

 siderable numbers locally throughout the county ; this year 

 (1902) first seen in the county March 23rd ; earliest previous 

 record March 26th, but the great rush occurs about the middle of 

 April ; begins to depart in small flocks about the end of August, 

 and has entirely left us by the first week in October; been 

 observed at Scilly only in autumn. 



Wood Wren ; a summer migrant, wintering as far south as 

 Madeira and the Gold Coast ; a bird of the woods with a special 

 liking for tall deciduous trees ; common in a few localities in the 

 east of the county, where it appears in the beginning of May, 

 the earliest record being April 20th; about 1870 frequently 

 reported from Scilly, but there is no subsequent record ; twice 

 obtained on the western mainland. 



Reed Warbler ; a summer migrant wintering round the 

 Mediterranean basin and m Central Africa ; common in the 

 south-eastern and midland districts of England, but very rare in 

 Cornwall; has bred at Swanpool, and in 1900 and 1901 at 

 Pencalenick, Truro ; a nest with eggs found near St. Mawes, in 



