60 LAND-BIRDS. 



*' Still dear to each bosom the bluebird shall be ; 



His voice, like the thrilling-s of hope, is a treasure ; 

 For, thro' bleakest storms if a calm he but see, 

 He comes to remind us of simshine and pleasure ! " 



Note. The European StonecLat or " "V^Tieatear " QSaxi- 

 cola oenanthe) occurs in nortliern North America as a wan- 

 derer, and is included by Dr. Coues in his " List of the Birds 

 of New England." * In his " Key " he describes it as follows 

 (the length being 5-6 inches ?) : " Adult : ashy gray ; fore- 

 head, superciliary line, and under parts white, latter often 

 brownish-tinted ; upper tail coverts white, wings and tail black, 

 latter with most of the feathers white for half their length ; 

 line from nostril to eye, and broad band on side of head, 

 black ; bill and feet, black ; young everywhere cinnamon 

 brown, paler below. ..." 



§ 3. SYLVIID^. (See § 1.) 



I. REGULUS. 



A. CALENDULA. Ruby-cvoicned " Wreny Huhy -crowned 

 '•''Kinglet.'" -^ Common in Massachusetts in April and 

 October.! 



a. 4-4J inches long. Above, greenish olive ; below, white, 

 impure and yellow- tinged. Wings with two white bars, and 

 (like the tail) with light edgings. Eye-ring, impure white. 

 Crown in mature specimens with a scarlet patchy wanting in 

 immature birds (and females? 2^); moreover, in some speci- 

 mens, small and orange-colored. 



* The only authentic record of the no proofs of this have been as yet ob- 



actual occurrence of the Wheatear in tained. — W. B. 



New Eng-land is that by Mr. Boardman ^ I have seen in spring- pairs of these 



{Bull. N.O. C. Vol. V. 1880, p. 115) of birds, highly colored, and apparently 



a specimen taken by Mr. George Moses fully matured, of whom the males had 



on Indian Island, near Eastport, Maine, a brilliant carmine patch, and the fe- 



August 25, 1879. — W. B. males no patch at all, or none evident. * 



2^ These birds have been called " Mr. Minot's evident distrust of the 



" Kinglets " from their scientific name belief (very g-eneral at the time he 



(Regulus), meaning "little king." wrote) that the sexes are indistinguish- 



t A very common spring and au- able when in mature plumage was well 



tumn migrant. There can be very lit- founded, for it is now definitely known 



tie doubt that it breeds sparingly and that the female usually lacks all trace 



locally in northern New England, but of the scarlet crown-patch ; and one 



