202 



GOLD CRESTED WREN. 



impending- the tail, are black, and conceal the white at the base of the 

 tail-feathers ; the rump is white, as well as the under coverts of the tail ; 

 the bill more than four inches in length, and appears to have been 

 reddish for two-thirds of its length from the base, with the point dusky." 

 The Red Godwit is described as generally larger than the Godwit, 

 weighing about twelve ounces ; length eighteen inches. Another 

 variety had the greater coverts of the wings so deeply margined with 

 light greyish brown, as to appear almost all white at a little distance, 

 and the sides of the body had a few long streaks of brown. Old male 

 birds are said to have some black lines on the chip, breast, and throat. 

 These birds formerly continued with us the whole year, resorting in 

 the spring to the fens, where they breed, and are taken in nets with the 

 ruffs, by means of a stale or stuffed bird. In the winter it is found on 

 our shores, particularly at the mouths of large rivers and inlets, where 

 the mud and sand become bare at low water, where it feeds on insects. 

 It is found in various parts of the continent of Europe and Asia, as 

 well as in America. 



GOLD-CRESTED WREN {Regulus cristatus, Ray.) 

 *Motacilla Regulus, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 338. 48 Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 995.— Sylvia Re- 

 gulus, lnd. Orn. 2. p. 548. 152 Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 229 Regulus 



cristatus, Kaii, Syn. p. 79. A. 9 Will. p. 163. t. 42.— Briss. 3. p. 579. 17.— 



Ib. 8vo. 1. p. 472 — Regulus auricapillus, Selby, p. 192. — Gegronter Sanger, 

 Meyer, 1. p. 250.— Roitelet, Poul, Souci, Buff. 5. p. 363. t. 16. f. 2.— Gold- 

 crested Wren, Br. Zool. No. 153 lb. fol. 101. t. S. f. 3 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 



321 Ib. Supp. p. 64.— Will. (Angl.) p. 227.— Edw. t. 254. l.—Albin, 1. t. 



53 — Haye's Br. Birds, t. 38 Lath. Syn. 4. p. 508. 145.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 3. t. 



112 — Wale. Syn. 2. t. 243 Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 9 Don. Br. Birds, 1. t. 4.* 



This elegant little species is the smallest British bird. Its weight 

 seldom exceeds eighty grains ; length three inches and three quarters. 

 The bill is slender and black ; irides hazel. The crown of the head 

 is singularly beautiful ; the crest is composed of a double series of 

 feathers, arising from each side, and almost meeting at their points . 

 the exterior are black, -the interior bright yellow; between which, 

 on the crown, the feathers are shorter, and of a fine deep orange ; 

 the forehead, chin, and round the eyes, whitish ; the hind part of 

 the head, neck, and back, green ; the two first dashed with ash-colour; 

 quills dusky, edged with green ; at the base of the secondary quills is 

 a black bar, above which the coverts are tipped with white, forming 

 a narrow bar of that colour ; above that the smaller coverts are black, 

 tipped with white, which form two other small obscure bars ; the 

 under parts of the body are brownish white, lightest on the belly, a 

 little tinged with yellow; the tail is somewhat forked, the feathers 

 dusky, edged with yellowish green. 



The female has the head rather less crested, and the crown is bright 

 yellow where the male is orange. 



