WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



going far south of New York, we see few of them 

 even here in mild seasons, and, as the close of the 

 winter approaches, they are among the first to 

 hasten to their home within the arctic circle. In 

 every alternate flock of snow-flakes may perhaps 

 be found one or two Lapland longspurs — another 

 bird which builds its nest in the moss at the foot 

 of Greenland glaciers. Its coat is white and black 

 and chestnut, so that it is easily distinguishable 

 from its lighter fellow, but it is very uncommon. 



Next to the diminutive humming-bird, the small- 

 est bird on this continent is the golden-crested 

 kinglet, on whose tiny brow rests a coronet of 

 gold, fiery red and black, below which the jewelled 

 eye is set in a soft, dusky background of olive- 

 green. From tooth to tail he is not so long as 

 your finger, yet this pygmy braves the fury and 

 desolation of winter as cheerily as though soft 

 skies arched overhead. I owe him many thanks 

 for piping his nonchalant, contented little lecture 

 into my ears when I have growled at the weather 

 and the '" foolishness '' which dragged me out-of- 

 doors on certain terrible days, only to see what 

 such absurd fellows as he were about. He is 

 the most independent, irrepressible little chap I 

 know of, and for the life of me I never can be 



57 



