CHAPTER XLVII. 



The gold-Crested Wren. 



Motacilla regulus, Lin. ; Eoitelet souci ou poul, Buf. 



Description and Chaeactee. — The Gold-Crested Wren is the 

 most diminutive of all the species of birds inhabiting Great 

 Britain, and is probably the smallest bird to be found in 

 Europe. It is most docile and attractive, and a great favourite 

 with the majority of bird fanciers, though by no means 

 so innocent as its appearance would lead one to suppose, and 

 at times, especially when hungry, shows an amount of pug- 

 nacity scarcely to be credited. It is by no means bashful, 

 allowing anyone to approach it very closely without showing 

 fear, and taking little heed so long as no effort is made to 

 disturb it. 



A fully-grown specimen measures 3jin., of which the tail is 

 l^in. The bill is slender and sharp, and black in colour. The 

 iris is dark brown. From the root of the bill, extending 

 over each eye, is a broad stripe of dark brown ; in the centre 

 of this, and continuing over the top part of the head, is a 

 brilliant deep burnished gold or orange spot, edged with yellow. 

 The cheeks, sides of throat, neck, and back, are of a beautiful 

 golden green ; the rump is paler in hue. The breast, sides, 

 belly, and vent, are of a greenish grey, darkest at the sides, 

 and whitest in the centre. The wings and tail are dusky 

 brown, edged with golden-green ; the wing coverts are black, 

 with broad white circular margins on the larger ones, and a few 

 white spots on the smaller ; the three inner flight, or secondary 

 quills, are tipped with white at the extremities. The legs and 



