454 



Adult Male (Altenkirchen, near Coblentz, 18th May). Forehead greyish brown; a blackish line above the 

 forehead, merging into a tolerably broad black streak on each side of the head, enclosing a large yellow 

 patch, which covers the crown, and in the centre deepens into rich orange ; back and rump olive-green, 

 the fore part of the back more grey, and the rump greener ; quills dark blackish brown, on the outer 

 web edged with yellowish green, the secondaries only thus edged on the terminal half, leaving a black 

 patch at the base ; secondaries and wing-coverts tipped, the latter broadly, with white ; tail dark brown, 

 the feathers bordered with yellowish green on the outer web ; sides of the head greyish brown, palest 

 round the eye, the lores being dirty greyish white ; from the base of the bill an indistinct brownish line ; 

 underparts greyish white, very slightly marked with yellowish on the centre of the abdomen ; bill 

 blackish brown; iris hazel-brown; legs brown. Total length about 3-5 inches, culmen 045, wing 2*1, 

 tail 1-65, tarsus 0-7. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but rather duller in colour, and having the crown lemon-yellow, 

 instead of orange-yellow, as in the male. 



Young just fledged (Teneriffe, 23rd May). Differs from the female in having no yellow patch on the crown, 

 the entire crown and nape being blackish brown intermixed with olive ; the underparts are also much 

 greyer, and the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts are washed with buff. 



The Golden-crested Wren is very widely distributed, being found throughout Europe, North- 

 western Africa, and in Asia as far east as Japan. 



In Great Britain it is generally distributed throughout the country, breeding almost every- 

 where, excepting in the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland ; and though a resident through- 

 out the whole year, large flocks are seen migrating to and from our coasts. Mr. Cecil Smith, 

 writing from Taunton, Somersetshire, says that he does not believe that the migratory flocks 

 ever find their way there, as he has never observed that the numbers are really increased in the 

 autumn and winter. 



Mr. Robert Gray remarks that though some sixty or seventy years ago it appears to have 

 been a very scarce bird, it is now common in Scotland, and says that this " cannot be wondered 

 at, considering that the numerous fir-plantations now beautifying the borders of our lakes and 

 covering our hills with their tall green spires could hardly then have been in existence ; but 

 as these have increased in extent and become the chosen abode of Goldcrests during the 

 breeding-season, the birds have multiplied greatly, and in many places are now permanently 

 residents. Yet vast flocks appear to leave us in autumn. About the end of September they 

 make their appearance in the Wigtownshire woods in great numbers, and gradually travel south- 

 wards till they get to the Mull of Galloway, where they linger until a fitting opportunity occurs 

 for taking their departure." 



Captain Feilden says that during its autumnal migration the present species appears not 

 unfrequently to be blown on to the Faeroe islands. Miiller records them as having been procured 

 in the month of October 1852, and in the same month in 1857, and on the 21st October 1867 

 he received a single specimen shot at Skaalefiord. The wind had for a long time previously been 

 changing from southerly to westerly. 



It is common in Scandinavia ; but, according to Mr. Collett, it has not been found breeding 

 north of Sal ten, in 67° N. lat. According to Nordvi several flocks were observed at VadsS, in 



