THRUSH COUSINS 



made by the Phoebe. It is a long-drawn, plaintive 

 whistle "pee-wee-e," but it is not so very much like 

 the Phoebe's note, if one could hear both together. 

 Yet the correspondent of the local country paper reports 

 the first Phoebe heard though never seen ! in January 

 or February, and the knowing ones smile. In Canada 

 there is also the Hudsbnian Chickadee, which wears a 

 brown cap instead of a black one, and says "dee-dee" 

 instead of "chicka-dee-dee," and in the Middle States 

 and southward they have the Tufted Titmouse, which 

 has a topknot, and the Carolina Chickadee. 



In still another group, the Sylviidce, or birds of the 

 "Old World Warbler" type, we have several dainty 

 little midgets, next in size to the hummers, which are 

 very interesting. One is the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 

 found in the Middle States and southward. I have had 

 no opportunity to know and study it afield, as I have 

 the two other species, the Kinglets Golden-crowned 

 and Ruby-crowned. They are both tiny birds, greenish 

 olive above and white beneath, with a brilliant crown 

 color-patch which the Manuals describe, which, how- 

 ever, is lacking in the female and immature Ruby- 

 crown. They are spring and fall migrants with us, 

 sometimes wintering. How such fragile little mites of 

 birds can keep from freezing in cold weather is a 

 mystery. They are fond especially of evergreen woods, 

 but appear in other timber as well. If in the woods one 

 hears repeated faint lisping sounds which are hard to 

 locate in the treetops, they probably are made either 

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