WINTER COMRADES 149 



Golden-crowned, and it is slightly larger. But 

 if you can hear its song in the springtime there 

 will be no doubt of its identity, for the vocal 

 performance is all its own. Never shall I forget 

 that spring morning in early May when I first 

 heard this wild, sweet song. At an early hour as 

 I was making my way across an old pasture 

 toward a patch of dense woods in quest of birds, 

 there came to me far across the open, from a 

 dense beech and birch growth at the edge of the 

 forest, a thrilling, beautiful song, wholly strange 

 to my ear, ^'cher'-o-wee, che/-o-wee, cher'-o-wee,^^ 

 loud, full, and clear. Hastening in the direction 

 of the song I searched a long time for the per- 

 former but finally found him, seeing through 

 the glasses even his splendid red crown. Though 

 it was several years ago, that morning stands out 

 distinctly in memory. These Kinglets also have 

 fine, wiry call notes, not unlike those of the 

 Golden-crowned. 



The feeding and nesting habits of this variety 

 are much the same as with the preceding. 

 Their summer range is rather farther north, but 

 a few nest in Maine. In winter they range from 

 North Carolina southward. I have never found 

 them during the migration so common as the 

 Golden-crowTied, and I am inclined to believe 

 they are not so numerous. 



Blue Jay. A winter wanderer of great prom- 

 inence because of his gaudy colors and vocif- 

 erous cries is the Blue Jay. He belongs to the 

 same family as the Crows, a group of birds 

 found in all parts of the world except New Zea- 

 land. The Blue Jay is an excellent example of 



