156 COMMON GOLD-CHEST. 
shelter and an abundant food from the variety of 
insects which frequent them, and which nestle in 
the scales of their shoots and cones, but more parti- 
cularly from the supply furnished by a genus 
living on or infesting the Coniferce. We mean 
the Eriosoma of entomologists, which has lately 
given so much cause of grief to the patrons of 
arboriculture by the ravages which it is appa- 
rently able to commit on the silver firs. These 
little birds undoubtedly do their best to check 
its increase; and during winter, when they are 
in a state of ova, they find a most abundant 
supply of nourishment. But when we give the 
middle of Scotland as an abundant locality, we 
do not mean that it is the northern limit of the 
Common Gold-Crest, for it extends far to the 
northward wherever protection by cover is affor- 
ded ; and it is mentioned by Low as inhabiting 
the Orkneys. Dunn also, in his Ornithologist’s 
Guide, says he has shot it there, and had it 
brought to him in Shetland.* The season when 
met with, in these last localities, is not noticed ; 
and we would rather suppose that the specimens 
were procured during a migratory visit than that 
they remained or bred in any of the islands. In 
its habits this bird is most active, climbing among 
the branches, and oft«»* hanging from the moss 
or fir cones, and occasionally resting on the bole 
of the tree itself, and searching into its crevices. 
They indeed exhibit all the activity and restless- 
ness of the true Titmice, with groups of which 
* P. 78. 
