Wayne: Birds of South Carolina. 197 



show their beautiful orange patch to the females. Although I 

 have been familiar with this little bird ever since my youth I 

 have yet to hear its song. The notes which it utters while it so- 

 journs with us are squeaky, resembling those of the Brown Creeper. 



During the migration I have seen over a hundred individuals 

 in old, weed-grown fields in November, all of which showed the 

 utmost fearlessness and would readily admit of approach to 

 within a few feet. 



Mr. WilHam Brewster^ found this species breeding in the spruce 

 belt of the mountains in western North Carolina. This is the 

 southern limit of the breeding grounds, which extend as far north 

 as Labrador. 



300. Regulus calendula (Linn.). Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 



This winter visitant arrives from the north during the second week 

 in October, the 8th, 1901, and 13th, 1899, being the earliest dates. 

 It is never common until the last of October or the beginning of 

 November and remains until at least May 1. 



The song period begins early in April, and for so small a bird 

 the volume and sweetness of its song is really remarkable. I have 

 often wondered when listening to one of these little birds that a 

 creature so small could possess such wonderful powers of vocal- 

 ism. When engaged in singing, the males display the vermilion 

 patch on the crown as if conscious of their superiority as singers, 

 thus making lasting impression upon the observer. 



The Ruby-crowned Kinglet inhabits the same character of 

 wooded land as the preceding species, and, like it, commonly 

 hovers on the underside of branches of trees, which are thickly 

 covered with leaves, in order to obtain insects and their larvae 

 which constitute its food. This kinglet is not as high-ranging 

 as the Golden-crowned, and appears to prefer low trees and bushes. 

 It seems to prefer lavender and myrtle bushes, and associates 

 freely with Orange-crowned Warblers on the coast islands as well 

 as on the mainland. 



This species breeds far north, even to the limit of tree growth, 

 as well as in the high mountains of New Mexico and Arizona far 

 to the southward, showing that altitude is equal to latitude. It 

 can, therefore, be readily understood why it migrates so much 

 later in the spring than the Golden-crowned Kinglet. 



^Auk, III, 1886, 177. 



