118 



CITIZEN BIRD 



I''^#? 



GOLDEX-CROWNED KlXGLET. 



on its head, it is this Kinglet. 

 If you see such a pygmy 

 again in autumn, exploring 

 the bare twigs, it is this King- 

 let. When light snow is first 

 powdering the spruces and 

 bending the delicate hemlock 

 branches, dusky shapes flit 

 out of the green cover. 

 Are they dry leaves 

 blown about by the gust? 

 No, leaves do not climb about 

 in the face of the wind, or pry 

 and peep into every cone 

 crevice, crying ' twe-zee, twe- 

 zee, twe-zee ! ' They are not 

 leaves, but a flock of Kinglets forcing the bark crevices 

 to yield them a breakfast of the insects which had put 

 themselves comfortably to bed for the winter. Think 

 of the work that these birds do, who not only fight the 

 insect army in summer, but in sleet and snow are as 

 busy as ever destroying the eggs that would turn in 

 another season to worms and eat the orchards! 



"Though the Golden -crowned Kinglets rove about 

 in flocks a great part of tlie year, they are extremely 

 private in the nesting season. They go to northern 

 and high places to liide their homes, putting them as 

 far out of reach as does the Baltimore Oriole. This nest 

 is made of moss and seems very large when compared 

 with tlie size of the builder. It is partly hung from the 

 concealing bough of an evergreen, sometimes quite near 

 the ground, sometimes swinging far up out of sight." 



