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This species is so nearly like the Golden-crowned Kinglet that little 

 further discussion is necessary of either habits or economic status. The 

 song of the Ruby-crowned, however, is one of nature's surprises. It 

 is loud, clear, and full throated and is audible for a surprising distance 

 equalling in carrying power the song of the Purple Finch. When first 

 heard it is almost invariably ascribed to some of the better-singing Sparrows 

 rather than to this diminutive little bird. 



Subfamily Polioptilinae. Gnatcatchers. 



A small family composed of only one genus and peculiar to America. 

 The colour is in soft bluish ash and white. The bill is superficially warbler- 

 like, but the first primary feather of the wing is small and almost aborted, 

 being considerably less than half as long as the next, as is the case with 

 the Warbling Vireo. Only one species occurs in Canada. 



Genus Polioptila. Gnatcatchers. 



751. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher. PR. LE GOBE-MOUCHE GRIS-BLEU. Polioptila ccerulea. 

 L, 4-05. All even bluish grey above, wings dark, and tail black, the outer tail feathers 

 white; below and face all white. Male has black line across forehead and over eye. 



Distinctions. The small size, even blue and white coloration, and the short first wing 

 quill are diagnostic. 



Field Marks. Inhabiting tree tops so high up that the colours are usually difficult to 

 make out, the outline, with long narrow tail switched about much in the manner of the 

 Red-start, and the characteristic rather hoarse call notes make the best recognition marks. 



Nesting. Nest of tendrils, fine strips of bark, and fine grasses firmly interwoven and 

 covered outside with spider-web and lichens. It is chimney-like in shape, high with straight 

 sides, and is one of the most beautiful American bird nests. 



Distribution. Southeastern United States north to the Canadian border along lake 

 Erie and Detroit river. 



SUBSPECIES. The eastern subspecies, the Eastern Gnatcatcher, is the typical 

 form. A western subspecies occurs in the southwestern United States. 



This is a bird of the large tree forests, where it usually lives and builds 

 high up among the tree tops. As it is only regularly found in southern 

 Ontario along western lake Erie and has been taken elsewhere in Canada 

 only occasionally, it must be regarded as a rare bird in Canada. 



Economic Status. Too rare in Canada to be economically considered. 



FAMILY TURDID^E. THRUSHES AND ALLIES. 



This is a nearly cosmopolitan group systematically separated with 

 difficulty from the last family, though the individuals described in the 

 following pages are strongly enough marked to be easily recognizable. 

 In eastern Canada only one subfamily is represented. 



Subfamily Turdinse. The True Thrushes. 



Most of the Canadian Thrushes are easily recognized as such. 

 Systematically they are plainly marked by the number of primaries and 

 the scalation of the feet. As these are rather difficult features for the 

 amateur to discern, it is perhaps easier to differentiate them by other 

 more striking characters that apply to the representatives of the group in 

 eastern Canada. For this purpose they may be divided into the Thrushes 

 proper and the American Robin, Bluebird, and Wheatear, the last very 



