File:Coloured illustrations of British birds, and their eggs (1844) (14750689225).jpg

Identifier: colouredillustra21844meye (find matches)
Title: Coloured illustrations of British birds, and their eggs
Year: 1842 (1840s)
Authors: Meyer, H. L. (Henry Leonard), d. 1864 Meyer, H. L. (Henry Leonard), d. 1864. Illustrations of British birds Rutter, Daniel, former owner. DSI Rolle, Mark, former owner. DSI S. & J. Bentley, Wilson & Fley, printer S. & J. Bentley and Henry Fley, printer
Subjects: Birds Birds Birds Taxidermists Birds
Publisher: London : G.W. Nickisson
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
they may frequently be seenon the sunny side of a fir-tree, busily employed in searchingamong the branches for the larvse of insects secreted in thecrevices of their bark; and so earnest are they in the searchthat they will suffer themselves to be approached, and appearto take very little notice of being observed. They frequentlyeven sing at this season. On the 16th of February, 1843,the coldest day of that spring, we heard a little individual,of this species, singing loudly and merrily in an evergreenshrub, as if in perfect enjoyment. The weather was so severeat the time, that the waters of a neighbouring pond were thicklycovered with ice, and many boys were exercising themselves insliding upon it, and the whole country resisted the impression offootsteps. Although thus capable of enduring the ordinarycold of our climate, these little creatures suffer when a winterof unusual rigour and long duration occurs : at such timesthey have been found dead, in holes in banks, or hollow trees,
Text Appearing After Image:
GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 143 several clustered together, as if they had in vain sought, astheir last refuge, the warmth that might be communicatedby such a device. To our own indigenous birds of this species are occasionallyadded large flights, which arrive in autumn from more north-ern parts; an instance of which is recorded by Selby, to havetaken place on the 24th and 25th of October, 1822 : and itis probable that many do annually resort here for the winter,as their numbers are frequently observed, in the north ofEngland, to increase suddenly and considerably. On the occurrence of a winter of unusual severity, thislittle species has been known to abandon Scotland, and thenorth of England entirely: such a circumstance has beenrecorded, in the memoirs of the Wernerian Society, to havetaken place early in the spring of 1883; and to so distant apoint did they appear to have continued their migration, thatnot a single pair was observed in their accustomed hauntsuntil the following October, t

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