ORDER PASSERES. 89 



The Accentor Montanellus of M. Temminck inhabits the 

 eastern parts of the south of Europe, and under the same 

 latitude in Asia. It was found by Pallas in eastern Siberia, 

 and in the Crimea. It is rare in the Neapolitan States, Dal- 

 matia, and the south of Hungary. It always lives in the 

 mountains, and never shews itself in the plains except in 

 winter. In summer it is insectivorous, and probably will eat 

 grain in winter. Its mode of propagation is unknown. 



The word malurus is used by Vieillot to designate as a 

 genus some species of the warblers distinguished by a gauze- 

 like tail. The opposite figure is of a bird which seems re- 

 ferable to this group. The whole upper part is dusky brown, 

 the throat brown, the tail and streak over the eye are azure 

 blue, the remainder of the bird is bright reddish brown ; the 

 tail feathers, only five, are spread and very thin, the middle is 

 the longest, and the other two on each side decrease in length 

 successively. 



The first bird in our author's division of Regulus is the 

 common Gold-crested Wren. Motacilla Regulus of Lin. 

 This, the smallest of our European birds, must not be 

 confounded with the common wren, which belongs to the 

 baron's division Troglodites. The latter is a little larger 

 and more bulky, and as it seldom quits our rural habitations, 

 is much better known than the other, which only inhabits the 

 woods, and is seen only in autumn and winter. The gold- 

 crested wren is so small, that it passes through the meshes of 

 common nets, and easily escapes from all cages. A leaf is 

 sufficient to conceal it from the most piercing sight, which 

 may probably be the reason of its appearing more rare in 

 summer than it really is, for at the fall of the leaf these birds 

 are seen in tolerable numbers, and when the trees are totally 

 defoliated, they are found in small troops of from ten to 

 twelve, which join titmice and other little birds for the pur- 

 pose of migration. 



The gold-crested wrens are discoverable by a small sharp 



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