2G0 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEUES -- OSCINES. 



wanting the scarlet patch. In a newly fledged specimen the wings and tail are as strongly 

 edged with yellowish as in the adult ; but the general plnmage of the upper parts is rather 

 (dive-gray than olive-green, and the under parts are sordid whitish. The hill is light colored 

 at the base, and the toes appear to have been yellowish. N. America at large, breeding far 

 nortli and in mountains of the West, wintering in the Southern States and beyond. An exqui- 

 site little creature, famous for vocal power, abundant in wooded regions. Nest a large mass 

 of matted hair, feathers, nioss, straws, etc., placed on the bough of a tree ; eggs unknown. 

 34. R. satra'pa. (Gr. aaTpanrj^, Lat. satrapes, a ruler; alluding to the bird's golden crown. Fig. 

 13:?.) GoLiiEN-ciiESTKD KiNCLET. (J, adult: Upper parts olive-green, more Or less bright, 



sometimes rather olive-ashy, always brightest on 

 the rump ; under parts dull ashy-white, or yel- 

 lowish-white. Wings and tail dusky, strongly 

 edged with yellowish, the inner wing-quills vidth 

 whitish. Ou the secondaries, this yellowish edg- 

 ing stops abruptly in advance of the ends of the 

 coverts, leaving a pure blackish interval in ad- 

 vance of the white tips of the greater coverts : 

 this, and the similar tips of the median coverts, 

 form two white bars across the wings ; inner 

 webs of the quills and tail-feathers edged with 

 white. Superciliary line and extreme forehead 

 hoary-whitish. Crown black, enclosing a large 

 space, the middle of which is flame-colored, bor- 

 dered with pure yellow. The black reaches 

 across tlie forehead ; but behind, the yellow and 

 Fig. i32.-Gol,len-.;re!,tea)vHiglet, (After Audubon.) flame-color reach the general olive of the upper 

 parts. Or, the top of the head may be described as a central bed of flame-color, bounded in 

 front and on the sides with clear yellow, this similarly bounded by black, this again in the 

 same manner by hoary- whitish. Smaller than JJ. calendula; overlying nasal plumes larger. 

 Length 4.00; extent 6.50-7.00 ; wing 2.00-2.12 ; tail 1.67- ?, adult ; and young : Similar 

 to the adult $ , but the central field of the crown entirely yellow, enclosed in black (no fiamo- 

 color). N. America, at large ; another excpiisite, abundant in woodland and shrubbery, breed- 



ing from N. New England northward, wintering in most of the 

 moss, hair, feathers, etc., about 1..50 inches in diameter, on 

 preferably evergreen ; eggs 6-10, white, fully speckled , 

 35. K. s. oliva'ceus? (Lat. olivaceus, olivaceous; oliva, in 

 Golden-crested Kinglet. A slight variety, said 



6. Subfam. POLIOPTlLINit : Cnat.catchers 



Fig. 133. — Blue-gray Gnat-catclier, nat. size. (Ad nat. del. E. 0.) 



U. S. Nest a ball of 

 low bough of a tree, 

 size 0.50 X 0.40. 

 (dive.) Western 

 to be of livelier color- 

 ation. Pacific coast 

 region. 



A small group of one 

 genus and about a dozen, 

 chiefly Central and South 

 American, species; peculiar 

 to America. Polioptila has 

 been sometimes associated 

 with the Parid(T, but differs 

 decidedly and is ap])arently 

 Sylviine. Characters those 

 of the single genus. 



