GOLDCKEST. 453 



REGULUS CRISTATUS. 

 GOLDCREST. 



(Plate 11.) 



Parus calendula, Briss. Oni. iii. p. oSO ( 1760). 



Motacilla regulus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. y^'iS (176G). 



Sylvia regulus, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 161 (1769). 



Regulus cristatus, Koch, Syst. baier. Zool. p. 199 (1816) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



— Temminck, Gray, Bonaparte, Degland, Gerbe, Neicton, Dresser, ^-c. 

 Regulus am-eoeapiUus, Meyer, Tasckenb. p. 108 (la22). 

 Regulus flavicapillus, Naum. J'dff. Deutscld. iii. p. 968 (182."). 

 Regulus aurieapillus (Meyer), Selby, Brit. Orn. i. p. 229 (18;j3). 

 Regulus vulgai-is, Flem.Jide Bonap. Consp. i. p. 291 (18-50). 



The Golden-crested Wren, or Gold-crested Kinglet, or Goldcrest as it is 

 often called, is very generally distributed throughout the British Islands. 

 It is found at one season or another all over England in wooded districts ; 

 and there are few such localities in which it does not breed. Its history 

 in Scotland is specially interesting; for it is one of those species that have 

 withia the last half-century or so considerably extended their range. 

 According to Mr. Gray the bird appears to have been a very scarce one 

 seventy years ago ; but now it is widely dispersed and evidently on the 

 increase. This is undoubtedly owing to the great improvements being 

 rapidly made ; for wherever the bare country has been planted with larches 

 and firs, and extensive plantations made, they form a great attraction to 

 this bird. Although the Goldcrest is found in Skye, Islay, and many 

 parts of the Inner Hebrides, it does not frequent as yet the Outer Islands. 

 It does not appear to breed in the Orkney or Shetland Islands, but is 

 abundant there on the spring and autumn migrations ; and at these periods 

 it is occasionally found on the Faroes. Curiously enough the Goldcrest 

 has not been recorded from the Channel Islands. 



The Goldcrest, in a more or less modified form, is found throughout the 

 Palsearctic Region ; in Scandinavia as far north as the Arctic circle, but 

 in North Russia only as far as Archangel in lat. 63°, and in the Ural 

 Mountains and eastwards not extending above lat. 60°. The southern 

 limit of its range in the east appears to be the Himalayas and China; in 

 the west it is doubtful if it has occurred south of the Mediterranean. In 

 the northern portions of its range it is more or less migratory, but in the 

 south it is a resident. 



The Goldcrests may be distinguished from the nearly allied Firecrests 



