OF NEW ENGLAND. 53 



" While spring's lovely season, serene, dewy, warm, 

 "The green face of earth, and the pure blue of heav'n, 



" Or love's native music have influence to charm, 

 "Or sympathy's glow to our feelings is 8 giv'n, 



' Still dear to each bosom the Blue-bird shall be; 



" His voice, like the thrillings of hope, is a treasure; 

 "For, thro' bleakest storms if a calm he but see, 



"He comes to remind us of sunshine and pleasure I " 



NOTE. The European Stone-chat or " Wheat-ear" (Saxicola 

 cenanthe) occurs in Northern North America as a wanderer, 

 and is included by Dr. Coues in his " List of the Birds of New 

 England." In his "Key" he describes it as follows (the 

 length being 5-6 inches?): "Adult: ashy gray; forehead, 

 superciliary line and under parts white, latter often brownish- 

 tinted ; upper tail coverts white, wings and tail black, latter 

 with most of the feathers white for half their length ; line from 

 nostril to eye, and broad band on side of head, black ; bill and 

 feet, black ; young everywhere cinnamon-brown, paler below ; 



3. Sylviidse. (See 1.) 

 I. REGULUS 



(A) CALENDULUS. Ruby-crowned " Wren" Ruby-crowned 

 " Kinglet."* 



(Common in Massachusetts in April and October.) 



(a). 4-4 inches long. Above, greenish olive ; below, white, 

 impure and yellow-tinged. Wings with two white bars, and 

 (like the tail) with light edgings. Eye-ring, impure white. 

 Crown in mature specimens with a scarlet patch, wanting in 

 immature birds (and females ? 10 ) ; moreover, in some speci- 

 mens, small and orange-colored. 



(6). I believe that there is no record of the nest and eggs 



8 In the original "are," evidently through inadrertance. 



9 These birds have been called " Kinglets " from their scientific name (Regulus), 

 meaning "little king." 



10 1 have seen in spring pairs of these birds, highly colored, and apparently fully 

 matured, of whom the males had a brilliant carmine patch, and the females no 

 patch at all, or none evident. 



