A first current flowing through a first resistance is determined by a
series connection between a first resistance and a transistor which is
short circuited between the gate and the drain. Further, a second current
flowing through a second resistance is determined by a series connection
between a resistance and two or more transistors each having a short
circuit between the gate and the drain. By drawing the second current
from below the first resistance, a current fed through a reference
transistor is established to be equal to (the first current)-(the second
current). The second current starts flowing when the source voltage is
equal to or greater than the summed values of the voltage drops between
the gate and the source of the two or more transistors. Therefore, the
second current becomes zero when the source voltage is lower than a
predetermined value. In this manner, a sufficient amount of current is
output when the source voltage is relatively low, and the constant
current output when the source voltage is high can be controlled so as
not to be unnecessarily large.