' The habits of the Gold-crests, resemble, in many respects, those* of
the Titmouse^: They delight in cold weather, and thé® dttq’n- perch
on evergreen trees. They display great activity and agility in search
of then; food',, being almost constantly ^m o tio n , hopping from
branch to branch, or* climbing on tyêes;- frequently ^fj|||ife,.'head
downwards, searching the chinks of the. bark tor their p re \. These'
little birds commodity feed on the smallest inserts; which they catch
adroitly while, on the wing; in the winter they seek thèm’lft’l'theiïv
retreats, where they life Torpid or dead. They are-also very expert
at finding larvae and all sorts of small worms, of-which the\ ai^e, so
fond, as 19 gorge themselves exceedingly. During summer, jjféy'
occasionally Wm little berries’ and small grains; “anteffiK' ‘‘ &ey
at^ fat* and. fit fotf the talkie* notwithstanding their. 'vl j l l diminutive
size. Thé. sdfliês we are describing is found in great quantities in
the neighbourhood ;dl^surein berg, in Germain, and sold in I hr man--
kets of that city, where they command a higl|s]|ri^t s ,
Wilson,, in his account of the present speciesyqb^e ^ ^ ,; »that “ the,
very accurate description, givpn by the Count-de Buffon^. Jigl?ee§^m|
every respect,^wTth ours.” Notwithstanding this .observation, BuffonS
plate and description designate the ignicapilliis beyond'the possibility
of doubt; whilst thoseof Wilson are ^tendhdfor-the cristatus.
This statement of Wilson, joined to the testimony bJfVieillot,
would have led Os to believe the ignicapillus to be an American bird;
if Wilson’s plate, and more especially ïaisj description, as well as
the inspection of the very individual he delineated, and a hundred
others, had not confirmed our own belief. It may, however., be considered
extraordinary, that so, diminutive a being should extend its
range so widely as to participate equally in the bounties of 1 wo-,oom
tinents; and that another, so closely-allied to it as to be generally
mistaken for a mere variety, should be limited in its wanderings by
the. boundaries of blit one^
That the reader may be assured of the specific difference between
these two birds, I add a short comparative description. The Hegulus.
cristatus has the bill;\.er^le('Mc.;ilan(l quite subulate; whilst that of
th&jigfMC&pillus is »ai scpswuiltîleTbi Lt1 is> wider at bage. The cheeks of
.the former an- ithout^any t#hpeilipess' having only
a sm.^M,i blachiskjine through t.h of the latter, in addition
to th e black lpie tbrougliffij^ ^ fehave a pure white onp^above, and
another below, whenfe ,.^ |m mmck triple• djmdeaui
Tht- Eu gtish'ja amenai so mawb^ffleLri^',ed lfrom This charaoler;mr the
hirHKtrS raiher. heiçalledfe.Firfegorowneff G’olÿHQ^sth'from its Latin
the male, G>ol{lbn(-tTo\\ nedv|wl^prest,is. yellow-
ishsJbrange^that of ,tha^Firé-cfowned is ô£ÿtheSmbstM.i,\ifl orange;
fajgjsfehf e - i t r i o s ^ o h j yTo i ] i s ,^et|n5eeiBSfthe females, that of the
Goldt-n-troumd ha\ing d ‘lemon-}cllow^trc^t, i\vhifh; m iheJjBrqatb
of its (fepngener, is .orange, like that of the male, only much less
yiiVid.i 5,The i cheek’ bands,to^h^figmalb, Fire-crowned arefe»by no
mcansvAs’o ïo ljv io u - , a-, in its unite; thus the lemale ot’Mhisispi oy-s
resembles*.the maleîjG61 which the colours of its
cres$ brilliant. If,s to, thèse traits, we iadd; «that The
latter* is a little larger, wfe,S shall' complete thotenuiherationt of their
differences.
The two secies are ÿdiso somewhat distinguished'by their manner
of livmg.J^,IÉhfe)Goldeiiî-CEdwn.ed Gold-c®est associates in small bands,
consisting of a whole family,.iyiy p fethe Fire-crowned is only observed
in pairs. The latter is more shy, and frequents^ A«||$4pst|pf the
highest tr,ees, whereas the former, is- more generally observed amongst
1%% branches and bush^S4; thetymcelofithe Fire-crowned Gold-crpst is
also stronger. Their uc\ l W&tcrv*ar e both of the same admirable
construction, having the entrance, oh the upper part; but the eggs
are different in colour; and? thosêàôf the Firfe-crowned are fewer in
number.
The female Golden-crowned, Gold-dpMi^ three inches and three
quarters long, and si® in extent. The bill isiblack; the feet duskyj
the toes and nails wax Colour ;j the- irides are dark brown. The
frontlet is dull whitish-gray, extending in a line over and beyond
VOL. i.-—o