The Ruby-crowned Kinglets 
usually after the entire song has been rehearsed; and they are so loud at 
all times as to be heard at a distance of half a mile. One individual 
began his song with an elaborate preliminary run of high-pitched whining 
notes of a fineness almost beyond human cognizance; then effected a 
descent by a kititew note to the tew tew tew series. In this case, also, 
the emphatic closing notes had a distinct double character, as chee'py, 
chee'py, chee'py. 
Having retained in the foregoing paragraph the present tense, in¬ 
dicative of customary or established action, the author is prepared to 
retract, most humbly,—the assumed generalization. Generalizations are 
always dangerous. Disbelieve them, or treat them cavalierly, if you 
would learn the lore of nature. The Kinglets of the Pend d’Oreille did 
sing as above recited; but to my no less astonishment I have never heard 
the stentorous cheep notes in California—neither in the San Jacintos 
nor the Warners nor on Shasta, nor in the Mammoth country, where I 
know them best. On Mt. Shasta, particularly, I noted the invariable 
Taken in Idaho Photo by H. J. Rust 
ANOTHER BASKETFUL 
absence of the concluding notes (call them shouts rather). One per¬ 
former, followed by the hour, said, tew tew tew titooreet titooreet titooreet; 
and the only variations observable in this example were preliminary 
806 
