BIRD PARADISE 33 



Two species of the kinglet family — the golden 

 crowned and the ruby crowned — visit us twice 

 during the year. They nest far to the northward 

 and look in upon us in the spring and fall as they 

 journey on the annual migration. I sometimes 

 think that they rank next to the humming-bird 

 in smallness of size. I have never seen their nest, 

 though I am told that they sometimes breed in 

 northern New York. The nest is described as 

 quite bulky for the size of the bird. One writer 

 speaks of one he saw as being nicely constructed 

 and containing a large number of eggs, placed in 

 two layers, one above the other. How the in- 

 cubation under such conditions can be carried out 

 is something of a problem. When they visit us 

 in the fell they are usually in company with the 

 warblers, and it is difficult to tell them apart as 

 they pass to and fro in the trees. I think I have 

 seen them here in the winter, and doubtless some 

 of them tarry in our hill country during the cold 

 weather. The greater number, however, journey 

 far down to the genial weather of the torrid zone. 

 Their song is scarcely more than a call note, re- 

 peated several times in a bright, cheery way. 

 When I pass in review the species of birds that 

 rank in size and habits with these active kinglets, 



