SO 



WINTER WREN-CERULEAN WARBLER. 



dark rusty brown, with a bluish tinge ; the greater and lesser wing- 

 coverts are tipped broadly with white, forming two handsome white 

 bands across the wings ; the rump and tail-coverts are drab, tipped 

 with lighter color ; tail rounded, and of a dusky color, edged with 

 drab ; belly white ; vent pale ochre ; legs and feet reddish-brown ; 

 eye hazel ; the lower eyelid white. 



The Winter Wren. {Troglodytes /ijemah's.) 

 Fig. 8. 



This bird, which is one of our smallest species, can never be 

 mistaken when once seen. His back is a deep rufous-brown, 

 darkest on the head, brightest on the rump and tail ; head and neck 

 plain ; the rest marked with numerous short dusky, sometimes 

 whitish, interrupted bars. Wings dusky, dark-barred, and edged 

 with rufous. Below, dark-brown, with belly, flanks, and under 

 tail-coverts strongly marked with dusky and whitish. Length 

 from three to four inches, wing about two, tail one and one-half 

 inches. The Winter Wren is not an abundant bird, but is found 

 everywhere in the United States. It is only partially migratory, 

 many of them passing the whole year near their breeding places. 

 It is the most abundant of winter birds on the Pacific coast, brav- 

 ing the long, damp, and dreary winters of Oregon and Washington 

 Territory, retiring to the mountains on the approach of spring, for 

 the purpose of breeding. It breeds all along Central New York, 

 the beautiful shores of Oneida Lake being one of its favorite spots. 

 Its nest is a most wonderful piece of architecture. It is pouch- 

 shape, composed of moss and lichens, two inches or more in 

 thickness, very large and deep, and lined with bits of fur and the 

 feathers of various birds. The eggs are usually five in number, 

 and pure white, marked with purplish slate blotches and reddish- 

 brown spots. Audubon describes one, found at the foot of a tree, 

 as "a protuberance covered with moss and lichens, resembling 

 those excrescences which are often seen on our forest-trees, with 

 this difference, that the aperture was perfectly rounded, clean, and 

 quite smooth. I put my finger into it, and felt the pecking of a 

 bird's bill, while a querulous cr}' was emitted." Shy, active, inquis- 

 itive, this little bird is ever on the alert. I have followed one for 

 rods and rods along an old stone fence, in some upland pasture, 

 and have been barely able to keep him in sight. Darting in and 

 out the stone wall, hopping, skipping, forever in motion, his little 

 short tail, like a cockade, stuck straight in air, he wins your affec- 

 tion and your admiration at once ; and that must be a miserable 

 scamp who would aim a shot-gun at this beautiful and harmless 

 little creature. His song, too, is a marvel. Where, in all that 

 little bundle of brown feathers, can so much melody be hid? 

 Alike unconscious and unambitious, coy and retiring, in his mo- 

 ments of pleasure he will pour forth a song at once fluent and 

 copious, and instinct with the purest rhythms. The notes vibrate, 

 melt to the sweetest plaintiveness, and leave on the memory only 

 the sweetest of emotions. 



The Winter Wren is closely allied to the common Wren of 

 Europe. It has a most charming mythical history, and the kind- 

 liest mention in all literatures. In Germany, he is called the Zaun 

 Konig — Hedge King. Grimm, in his delightful Folk Lore tales, 

 has gathered some of the fables told of him in that country. Both 

 Aristotle and Pliny speak of him as disputing with the Eagle the 

 sovereignty of the feathered creation. 



Considering the diminutive size of this bird, and his retiring 

 habits, it is singular that the title of King should so universally 

 have been given him. The French call him Roitelet — Little King. 

 The Greeks gave him the same title, Daadlaxo^ — Little King; the 

 Romans, Rcgulus; the Swedes, Kungs-fogel — King's Fowl; the 

 Danes, Fugle-kong — Fowl-king; the Dutch, Winter Koninkjc — 

 little Winter King. A most charming essay might be written on 

 tfciis little bird, the material being most abundant, but our limited 

 space forbids following the subject further. 



PLATE XXXVII. 

 The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. (Potioptila ccerulea) 



Fig. i. 



This active and sprightly little bird would rank among the most 

 diminutive species were it not for the length of the tail. It is 

 commonly seen in the tops of tall trees. Its motions are rapid and 

 incessant, appearing most always in quest of prey, darting from 

 bough to bough, with hanging wings and elevattJ tail, uttering 

 only at times a feeble song, or squeaking notes of "tree, tree, 

 tree." Its first visits are paid to the blooming willows along the 

 borders of water-courses. This species is also very dexterous as 

 a fly-catcher, and, by some good authors on ornithology, it is 

 classed among the Fly-catchers. According to Wilson, it builds its 

 nest about the beginning of May, the time it arrives in the Middle 

 States from the South, which it generally fixes among the twiVs 

 of a tree, sometimes at the height often feet from the ground, and 

 sometimes fifty feet high, on the extremities of the tops of a high 

 tree in the woods. This nest is formed of very slight and perish- 

 able materials— the husks of buds, stems of old leaves, withered 

 blossoms of weeds, and down from the stalks of fern, coated on 

 the outside with gray lichen, and lined with a few horse-hairs. 



The length of this species is four and a half inches, and about 

 six and a half inches broad. Front line over the eye and bill 

 black; the latter somewhat notched at the tip. The plumage 

 above, light bluish-gray, brightest on the head ; below, bluish- 

 white and pale (white in the females). Tail edged with blue; its 

 coverts black. Wings brownish-black ; some of the secondaries 

 next the body edged with white. Legs pale blue. Iris hazel. 



The Black-throated Green Warbler. (Dendroica virens.) 



Fig. 2. 



This acknowledged lively and active little species frequents the 

 high branches and tops of trees, in the woods, in search of the 

 larva? of insects that prey on the opening buds. Their song, 

 consisting of a few singular chirping notes, resembles the syl- 

 lables 'te de ter-ctscd, sometimes te derisca, pronounced pretty 

 loud and slow, and the tones proceed from high to low. This note 

 is very much like the call of the Chickadee, and at times both are 

 heard amidst the reigning silence of the summer moon. It is said 

 to be abundant in the forests of the eastern part of the United 

 States. 



This bird is five inches long and seven inches broad. The back, 

 crown, and hind head clear yellow-olive ; front, cheeks, sides of 

 the breast, and line over the eye pure yellow ; chin and throat, 

 black ; the sides under the wings are spotted with black ; belly 

 and vent are white ; the wings dusky black, marked with two white 

 bars. Tail dusky, edged with light ash color ; the thin exterior 

 feathers spotted on their inner webs with white, as appears in most 

 Warblers. The legs and feet are brownish-yellow; the iris of the 

 eye deep brown or blue. 



The Blue or Cerulean Warbler. (Dendroica ccerulea.) 

 Fig- 3 



This is another very delicately plumaged species of Warbler, 

 and is amongst the rarest summer residents of the Atlantic States. 

 It is very abundant in the Southern States. During summer, it 

 visits the Middle States, retiring early in the fall. This species 

 also has many of the habits of the Fly-catcher, warbling at times 

 in a lively manner ; and, though its song be short, it is at the same 

 time sweet and mellow. 



