FEMALE GOLDEN-CROWNED GOLD-CREST. 285 
between these two birds, I add a short comparative description. 
The Regulus cristatus has the bill very feeble, and quite subu- 
late ; whilst that of the ignicapillus is also subulate, but is 
wider at base. The cheeks of the former are pure cinereous, 
without any white lines, having only a single blackish one 
through the eye ; those of the latter, in addition to the black 
line through the eye, have a pure white one above, and an- 
other below, whence Temminck calls it Roitelet triple bandeau. 
The English name also may be derived from this character, or 
the bird may rather be called fire-crowned gold-crest, from its 
Latin name. The crest of the male golden-crowned gold-crest 
is yellowish orange, that of the fire-crowned is of the most 
vivid orange ; but the most obvious difference is between the 
females, that of the golden-crowned having a lemon yellow 
crest, which, in the female of its congener, is orange, like that 
of the male, only much less vivid. The cheek bands of the 
female fire-crowned are by no means so obvious as in its mate ; 
thus the female of this species resembles the male golden- 
crowned, than which the colours of its crest are not less bril- 
liant. If, to these traits, we add, that the latter is a little 
larger, we shall complete the enumeration of their differences. 
The two species are also somewhat distinguished by their 
manner of living. The golden-crowned gold-crest associates 
in small bands, consisting of a whole family, whilst the fire-r 
crowned is only observed in pairs. The latter is more shy, 
and frequents the tops of the highest trees ; whereas the 
former is more generally observed amongst low branches and 
bushes ; the voice of the fire-crowned gold-crest is also stronger. 
Their nests, however, are both of the same admirable construc- 
tion, having the entrance on the upper part ; but the eggs are 
different in colour, and those of the fire-crowned are fewer in 
number. 
The female golden-crowned gold-crest is three inches and 
three quarters long, and six in extent. The bill is black ; the 
feet dusky ; the toes and nails wax colour ; the irides are dark 
brown. The frontlet is dull whitish grey, extending in a line 
