430 NOTES ON THE 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head above and below black, separated by white on the 

 sides of the head; back brownish-ash; beneath white, tinged 

 with pale brownish- white on the sides; outer tail feathers, 

 primaries and secondaries broadly edged with white, involving 

 nearly the whole outer web of the outer tail feathers; tail 

 much graduated; the outer feather about thirty hundredths of 

 an inch shorter than the middle; second quill about as long as 

 the secondaries. 



Length, about 5.50; wing, 2.70; tail, about 3 inches. 



Family SYLYIID^. 



REGULUS SATRAPA Lichtenstein. (748.) 

 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 



This species appears simultaneously with the other Kinglet 

 and differs from it very little in its habits. Not quite as 

 numerous as the other, nor quite as active perhaps, it is not as 

 easily obtained. It rarely sings in migration, and then in a 

 very soft, musing tone which is very monotonous. The near- 

 est description of the note which I can give is expressed in a 

 single word, Veeet, and a single strain consists of about a half- 

 dozen repetitions. Amid the grand chorus of bird- song it is 

 easy to fail to detect it, but when heard is decidedly pleasing. 

 It leaves for the farther north a little earlier than the Ruby- 

 crowned does. I know nothing of its breeding habits within 

 my province, but think it not improbable that its nests may yet 

 be found in the northeastern portions of the State. It is 

 believed to be a more northern bird than its cousin. 



Mr. Herrick found it present still in Southern Minnesota as 

 late as October in the fall migration. 



Their patient industry in gathering their tiny insect food, 

 monotonously repeating their "t'eeet, t'eeet, t'eeet, t'eeet, t'eeet, 

 t'eeet," softly and rather rapidly, interrupted by a frequent 

 poise upon their fluttering wings while feeding upon some 

 dainty forms at the very extremity of the tremulous leaves is a 

 marvellous exhibition of contentment with their lot. They 

 have a habit of exposing their concealed, golden feathers of 

 the crown, by suddenly opening and shutting the overlapping 

 feathers on the parts adjoining them, by which they make 

 good their claims to royalty, and from which they have ob- 

 tained the common name of Golden- crowned Kinglets. Most 

 of them have passed further north by the end of the second 



