65 



MOTACILLA REGULUS. 



Syst. Nat. 338. 



GOLDEN CROWNED WREN. 



PLATE LXV. 



X his is the smallest of the British birds, being not 

 more than four inches long ; the bill is black at the 

 point, flesh-colour at the base, from whence arises a 

 white line that runs over the eye. The sides of the 

 head, immediately above this line, are green ; above 

 which, on each side, is a narrow list of black feathers ; 

 and on the crown of the head, above these black 

 lists, is a little tuft or crest of soft silky feathers : in 

 the male, of a bright orange colour ; in the female, 

 yellow. The bird has a power of erecting this crest 

 at will ; and, also, of hiding it entirely by contract- 

 ing the skin of the crown, and drawing together the 

 two black lists, between which the crest is placed. 

 The back is green, with a shade of olive ; the quills 

 and tail feathers are dusky, with green edges ; the 

 first row of coverts are green, with tips of a pale bufF- 

 colour ; the quills are black near the root, which 

 make a remarkably black spot on the wing. One or 

 two of the last quills have their- outer borders white in 

 the male bird ; the throat, breast, and belly, are of a 

 pale buff or cream-colour ; the legs and feet dusky. 



The fly is the Musca Demano, found in May and 

 June, about stagnant waters. 



