ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE BIRD. 239 
Above, the vireos come out on a twig tip not three 
yards from the glass, and “keep everlastingly at it” 
with their warbling. Once I saw the cuckoo on an 
outer elm swing head down to get a caterpillar, and 
then fall with dangling feet and swing to the larva 
with his beak to jerk it loose. Then he fell further, 
caught himself in the air with his wings, alighted and 
slung his prey till he eviscerated it dexterously and 
then swallowedit. Again, I have had the purple 
finch stop with me and sing his charming song to 
his mate, and heard her warble back in response—a 
rather rare thing in birds. 
Referring again to the kinglets, they come at a 
certain early spring date before the leaves are fully 
expanded, and flutter upward, while they take some- 
thing from beneath the budding leaf or twig. It is 
a peculiar motion, which with their restless ways, olive- 
green color, and small size, readily distinguishes them. 
It is rare that one is still. But the ruby-crowned 
sometimes favors me with a song, and as it is a little 
long, he usually is quiet till done. It is one of the 
sweetest little lullabylike strains that comes to me. 
One day I saw him in the rosebush just near volun- 
tarily expand the plumage of his crown and show the 
brilliant golden-ruby feathers beneath. Usually they 
are mostly concealed. It was a rare treat, and vis- 
ible to me only because of my rather exalted view. 
He usually reserves this display for his mate, but he 
was here among some snowbirds and tree sparrows, 
and seemed to be trying to make these plain folks 
envious of the pretty feathers in his hat, 
