262 S YS TEMA TIC S Y NOP SIS. — PA S SERES — OSCINES. 



uniform, but rather brighter on rump ; quills and tail-feathers fuscous, edged externally with 

 yellowish -green; a long yellowish superciliary stripe ; under parts yellowish- white ; lining of 

 wings and flanks yellow ; wings crossed with two yellowish bars, that across ends of greater 

 coverts conspicuous, the other indistinct ; bill dark brown, pale below ; feet and eyes brown. 

 Length 4.75; extent 6.00; wing 2.25-2.50; tail 1.75-2.00; tarsus 0.70; middle toe and claw 

 0.55. Europe; Asia; casually N. Am. in Alaska. 



Subfamily RECULIN/E: Kinglets. 



Characters sufficiently indicated in the following diagnosis of our only genus. 

 REG'ULUS. (Lat. regulus, diminutive of rex, a kiug.) Kinglets. Tarsus booted, very 

 slender, longer than middle toe and claw. Lateral toes nearly equal to each other. 1st pri- 

 mary spurious, its exposed portion less than half as long as 2d. Wings pointed, longer than 

 tail, which is emarginate, with acuminate feathers. Bill shorter than head, straight, slender, 

 typically Sylviine, not hooked at end, well bristled at rictus, with nostrils overshadowed by tiny 

 feathers. Coloration olivaceous, paler or whitish below, with red, black, or yellow, or all 

 three of these colors, on head of adult. About 10 species, of Europe, Asia, and America; 

 elegant and dainty little creatures, among the very smallest of our birds excepting Hummers. 

 They inhabit woodland, are very agile and sprightly, insectivorous, migratory, and highly 

 musical. 



Analysis of Species and Subspecies. 



Head with a scarlet patch, but no black or yellow. A tuft of bristly feathers over nostrils. (Subgenus Phtlloba- 

 SILEUS : Ruby-crowns.) 



The ordinary bird of N. Am. at large calendula 



A dark insular species of Guadalupe Island, L. Gala obscurus 



Head with black and orange or yellow. A single tiny feather over each nostril. (Regulus /);o/)i»r.- Gold-Crests.) 



The ordinary form of N. Am. at large . satrnpa 



A brighter form of the Pacific coast region S. olivaceus 



(SKbgenus Phyllobasileus.) 



R. (P.) calen'dula. (New Lat. calendula, dimin. of Ital. calandra, Fr. ccdandre, Eug. ca- 

 lender, a kind of Lark, Melanocorypha calandra; so called from Lat. caliendnim, a head- 

 dress of false hair, chignon, wig. In botany, calendula, a word of identical form but difi'erent 

 derivation, is the name of the genus of marigolds.) Euby-Crowned Kinglet. ^, adult: 

 Bill and feet black. Upper parts greenish-olive, becoming more yellowish on the rump; 

 wings and tail dusky, strongly edged with yellowish ; whole under parts dull yellowish-white, 

 or yellowish- or greenish-gray (very variable in tone) ; wings crossed with two whitish bars, 

 and inner secondaries edged with the same. Edges of eyelids, lores, and extreme forehead 

 hoary whitish. A rich scarlet patch, partially concealed, on the crown. This beautiful orna- 

 ment is apparently not gained until the 2d year, in some cases, as it is absent from some adult 

 (J (J in the spring, or of a yellow instead of flaming color; but as a rule it is present in young 

 ^ $ the first autumn. It is never present in the 9 , as a normal character, though possibly 

 to be found in some individuals of that sex which have taken on the $ dress in consequence of 

 age or sterility. Length 4.10-4.50; extent 6.66-7.33 ; wing 2.00-2.33; tail 1.75; bill 0.25 ; 

 tarsus 0.75. Young of the year : Quite like the adult of each sex ; i.e., ? wanting the scarlet 

 patch, usually present in the $, sometimes wanting, or merely yellowish. In a newly fledged 

 specimen wings and tail as strongly edged with yellowish as in adult; but general plumage «if 

 upper parts rather olive-gray than olive-green, and under parts sordid whitish ; bill light col- 

 ored at base, and toes appear yellowish. N. Am. at large, breeding far N. and in mountains 

 of the west to S. California and Arizona, wintering in tlie Southern States and beyond to Gua- 

 temala. An exquisite little creature, famous for vocal power, abundant in wooded regions. 

 Nest a large mass of matted hair, feathers, moss, straws, etc., placed at or near the end of a 



