50 LAND-BIRDS. 



" Still dear to each bosom the bluebird 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 ! " 



NOTE. The European Stonechat or "Wheatear" (Saxi- 

 cola cenanthe) occurs in northern North America as a wan- 

 derer, 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 ; fore- 

 head, 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. SYLVmXffl. (See 1.) 



I. REGULUS. 



A. CALENDULA. Ruby-cv 'owned "Wren." Ruby-crowned 

 "Kinglet"' Common in Massachusetts in April and 

 October.f 



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

 impure and yellow-tinged. W ings 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 ? 3) ; moreover, in some speci- 

 mens, small and orange-colored. 



* The only authentic record of the no proofs of this have been as yet ob- 



actual occurrence of the Wheatear in tallied. W. B. 



New England is that by Mr. Boardman 8 I have seen in spring pairs of these 



(Bull. N.O. C. Vol. V. 1880, p. 115) of birds, highly colored, and apparently 



a specimen taken by Mr. George Moses fully matured, of whom the males had 



on Indian Island, near Eastport, Maine, a brilliant carmine patch, and the f e- 



August 25, 1879. W. B. males no patch at all, or none evident. * 



29 These birds have been called a Mr. Minot's evident distrust of the 



" Kinglets " from their scientific name belief (very general at the time he 



(Regulus), meaning " little king." wrote) that the sexes are indistinguish- 



t A very common spring and au- able when in mature plumage was well 



tumn migrant. There can be very lit- founded, for it is now definitely known 



tie doubt that it breeds sparingly and that the female usually lacks all trace 



locally in northern New England, but of the scarlet crown-patch ; and one 



