BALD PEAKS AND GREEN VALES 



65 



all the while rolling his ditty from his limber tongue. 

 Beginning with an exceedingly fine whistle, which could 

 not be heard far away, he descanted in sounds that it is 

 impossible to convey in syllables. The best literation 

 of his song that I was able to make was the following : 

 " Tse-e-ek, tse-e-ek, tse-e-e-ek, cholly-cholly-cholly, che- 

 che-che, pur-tie, pur-tie, pur- tie ! " the pur-tie accented 

 strongly on the second syllable and the whole per- 

 formance closing with an interrogative inflection. 



For a long time I watched the little acrobat, but 

 could not settle his identity. Some hours later, while 

 stalking along the other side of the valley, I heard the 

 song duplicated ; this time the singer elevated his crest 

 feathers, and at once I recognized him ; he was the ruby- 

 crowned kinglet, of course, of course ! It was a shame 

 not to identify him at first sight. In Ohio I had often 

 heard his song during the migrating season, and now 

 remembered it well ; but never dreaming that the ruby- 

 crown would be found in these 

 alpine districts, I was com- 

 pletely thrown off my 

 reckoning on hearing 

 his quaint melodies. 



The ruby-crowned 

 kinglet migrates to these 

 heights in the spring 

 and rears his brood at 



Ruby-Crowr 

 Kim 



" The singer elevated 

 his crest feathers" 



