The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick Esq, fellow of the Royal Society in three books : wherein all the birds hitherto known, being reduced into a method sutable to their natures, are accurately described : the descriptions illustrated by most elegant figures, nearly resembling the live birds, engraven in LXXVII copper plates : translated into English, and enlarged with many additions throughout the whole work : to which are added, Three considerable discourses, I. of the art of fowling, with a description of several nets in two large copper plates, II. of the ordering of singing birds, III. of falconry / by John Ray ...

CHAP. XI. The gloden-crown'd Wren: Regulus cristatus, Aldrov. lib. 17. cap. 1. The Trochilus of Pliny and * 1.1 Aristotle, who also calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Others call it by a diminutive word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In Tuscany it is called Fior Rancio, that is, the Marigold Flower, from the colour of its Crest.

THis is the least of all birds found with us in England, weighing not more than one single drachm. Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Claws is four inches and an half, to the end of the Tail four and a quarter. The breadth of the Wings extended six and three quarters. The top of the Head is adorned with a most beautiful bright spot, (which they call a crest) of a deep Saffron or pale Scarlet colour. Hence it got those ambitious titles of * 1.2 Regulus and Tyrannus. This Crest or Crown (if you please so to call it) it can when it lists, by corrugating its forehead, and drawing the sides of the spot together, wholly conceal and render invisible. It is of an oblong figure, and extended directly through the middle of the Head from the Bill towards the Neck. The edges of it on both sides are yellow; the whole is environed with a black line. The sides of the Neck are of a lovely shining yellowish green colour. The Eyes are encompassed with white. The Neck and all the Back from a dark green incline to yellow. The Breast is of a sordid white. [In the bird that I J. R. described the Breast and Belly were dashed with a faint green.] The Wings were concave, not much unlike to a Chassinches Wings. The quil-fea∣thers of the Wings, as in almost all small birds, were eighteen, all of a dusky colour, only their exteriour edges yellowish, and their interiour whitish. The tips also of the three next to the body were white. But what was most especially notable in the Wings of this bird was, that the middle quill-feathers, or indeed all excluding the five outmost, and the three inmost, had their exteriour Webs, as far as they appear above the covert feathers, to a considerable breadth black, so that when the Wings are shut they make a black spot of a good bigness about the middle of each Wing. The outmost quil-feather was very short and little. The covert-feathers of the first row have white tips, all together making a white line across the Wing. Above also to∣wards the ridge of the Wing is a white spot.

The Tail is made up of twelve sharp-pointed feathers, an inch and half long, not forcipate, of a dusky colour, only the exteriour borders of the feathers are of a yel∣lowish green.

The Bill is slender, streight, black, half an inch long. The feet yellowish, and the Claws of a not much different colour. The Tongue long, sharp, and cloven. The Irides of the Eyes of a hazel colour.

The stomach small, musculous, and full of Insects; whence it is manifest (as Ari∣stotle rightly saith) that it is a vermivorousbird. The Female, as in most other birds, hath not so fair colours.

We saw of these birds first to be sold in the Market at Nurenberg: Afterwards our worthy Friend Mr. Fr. Jessop of Broomhall in Sheffield Parish, whom we have occasion often to mention in this Work, sent us of them, which he had found and caught in the Mountainous Woods about Highloe, near Hathersedge in the Peak of Derbyshire. The same also found them here in Middleton Park in Warwickshire, where he shot them and brought them to us. They abide and haunt for the most part on the tops of trees, especially Oaks.

What is spoken of the antipathy and feud between this bird and the Eagle we look upon as an Old Wives Fable. Aldrovandus writes, that she lays six or seven Eggs to∣gether before she sits, not bigger than Pease.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hist. Animal. lib. 9. cap. 11.
• * 1.2

  Little King and Tyrant.