268 PERCHERS AND SINGERS 
timid, and easily driven away. Worse than this, they are 
easily killed by cold weather. The cold wave which visited 
the South in 1895 killed so many thousands of Bluebirds, 
especially in North Carolina and Arkansas, that for some 
time afterward the number visible in the North was alarm- 
ingly small. If not molested by the English sparrow, the 
Bluebird takes readily to boxes erected on poles near farm- 
houses, similar to those frequently erected by the farmer boys 
to attract the purple martin. A good way to encourage 
robins and Bluebirds is to kill the English sparrows. 
THE KINGLET FAMILY 
Sylvidae 
Tue Rusy-Crownep KINGLET! is one of our smallest 
birds, and it is easily recognized by the tiny tuft of ruby-red 
feathers on the crown of its head. In life it is a dainty little 
feathered gem, but it is so modest and retiring that it is seen 
only by sharp eyes. “‘Kinglet”” means “Little King.” Mrs. 
Mabel Osgood Wright testifies strongly to its value as an 
insect-destroyer, especially in the late autumn, when other 
insectivorous birds have gone, when it works industriously 
upon the trunks of evergreens. Dr. Coues considered the 
Kinglet an exquisite singer, but I must confess that its vocal 
powers have quite escaped me. 
THE NUTHATCH AND TITMOUSE FAMILY 
Paridae 
The birds of this Family deserve to rank as prime favor- 
ites. They remain with us through “the long and dreary 
1 Reg’u-lus cal-en-du'la. Length, 4.25 inches. 
