ONTARIO. 



An abundant winter resident, appearing in November and 

 remaining till April. During the severe weather in Feb- 

 ruary and March, when the mercury is near zero, it is really 

 surprising to see these tiny, feathered creatures, full of anima- 

 tion, flitting about among the evergreens, uttering their cheerful 

 notes of encouragement to their companions, and digging out 

 their insect food from the crevices of the bark. On these 

 occasions they are usually accompanied by Chickadees, 

 Downy Woodpeckers and White-bellied Nuthatches, making 

 a merry company nowise discouraged by the severity of the 

 weather. 



The Gold-crest is known to breed in Northern New England, 

 a nest containing young having been found by Mr. H. D. Minot 

 in a forest of evergreens and birches on the White Mountains of 

 New Hampshire, on the i6th of July, 1876. I once met with a 

 pair, evidently mated, who were located in a swamp in West 

 Flamboro' about the end of June. I did not persevere in seek- 

 ing the nest, though I felt sure it was close at hand. That is 

 the only time I have seen the species here in summer. 



294. REGULUS CALENDULA (Linn.). 749. 

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 



Above greenish-olive, below whitish, wings and tail dusky, edged with 

 greenish or yellowish; wing-coverts whitish tipped ; crown with a rich scarlet 

 patch in both sexes (but wanting in both the first year), no black about head : 

 bill and feet black. Length, 4-4^; wing, 2^-2^; tail ij-if. 



Hab. North America, south to Guatemala, north to the Arctic coast, 



breeding mostly north of the United States. 



Nest, large for the size of the bird, a mass of matted hair, grass, moss 

 and feathers, placed on the bough of a tree 



Eggs, unknown. 



In Southern Ontario the Ruby-crown is a regular migrant in 

 spring and fall, but in summer or winter it has not been observed. 



During the latter part of August and beginning of Septem- 

 ber, these little birds are exceedingly abundant, although from 

 their small size and the weak, lisping note they utter at this 



295 



