34. 
B50 
260 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSERES — OSCINES. 
wanting the scarlet patch. In a newly fbdeed specimen the wings and tail are as strongly 
edged with yellowish as in the adult; but the general plumage of the upper parts is rather 
olive-gray than olive-green, and the under parts are sordid whitish. The bill is light colored 
at the base, and the toes appear to have beesEllowish. N. America at large, breeding far 
north and in mountains of the West, wintering in the Southern States and beyond. An exqui- 
site little creature, famous for vocal power, abundant in wooded regions. Nest a large mass 
of matted hair, feathers, moss, straws, ete., placed on the bough of a tree; eggs unknown. 
R. satra’pa. (Gr. catpdmns, Lat. satrapes, a ruler; alluding to the bird’s golden crown. Fig. 
132.) GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET. @, adult: Upper parts olive-green, more or less bright, 
sometimes rather olive-ashy, always brightest on 
the rump; under parts dull ashy-white, or yel- 
lowish-white. Wings and tail dusky, strongly 
edged with yellowish, the inner wing-quills with 
whitish. On the secondaries, this yellowish edg- 
ing stops abruptly in advance of the ends of the 
coverts, leaving a pure blackish interval in ad- 
vance of the white tips of the greater coverts: 
this, and the similar tips of the median coverts, 
form two white bars across the wings; inner 
webs of the quills and tail-feathers edged with 
white. Superciliary line and extreme forehead 
hoary-whitish. Crown black, enclosing a large 
space, the middle of which is flame-colored, bor- 
dered with pure yellow. The black reaches 
= across the forehead; but behind, the yellow and 
Fig. 132. — Golden-crested Kinglet. (After Audubon.) f{jame-eolor reach the general olive of the upper 
parts. Or, the top of the head may be described as a central bed of flame-color, bounded in 
front and on the sides with clear yellow, this similarly bounded by black, this again in the 
same manner by hoary-whitish. Smaller than R. calendula ; overlyimg nasal plumes larger. 
Length 4.00; extent 6.50-7.00; wing 2.00-2.12; tail 1.67. 9, adult; and young: Similar 
to the adult @, but the central field of the crown entirely yellow, enclosed in black (no flame- 
color). N. America, at large; another exquisite, abundant in woodland and shrubbery, breed- 
ing from N. New England northward, wintering in most of the U.S. Nesta ball of 
moss, hair, feathers, ete., about 4.50 inches in diameter, on low bough of a tree, 
preferably evergreen ; eggs 6-10, white, fully speckled ; size 0.50 X 0.40. 
R. s. oliva/ceus? (Lat. olivaceus, olivaceous; oliva, an olive.) WESTERN 
GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET. A slight variety, said to be of livelier color- 
ation. Pacific coast 
region. 
6. Subfam. POLIOPTILINA: Gnat-.catchers. 
A small group of one 
genus and about a dozen, 
chiefly Central and South 
American, species ; peculiar 
to America. Polioptila has 
been sometimes associated 
with the Paride, but differs 
decidedly and is apparently 
Sylviine. Characters those 
Fic. 133. — Blue-gray Gnat-catcher, nat. size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) of the single genus. 
