a few clear whistles, followed by a short, 

 very sweet, and complicated warble, and 

 ending with notes like the syllables 

 tu-we-we, tu-we-we, tu-we-we. These 

 latter are often repeated separately, as 

 if the birds had no time for a prelude, or 

 are sometimes prefaced by merely a few 

 rather shrill notes with a rising inflec- 

 tion." 



Messrs. Baird, Brewer and Ridgway 

 say that "The song of this bird is by far 

 the most remarkable of its specific pecu- 

 liarities," and Air. Chapman declares, 

 "Taking the small size of the bird into 

 consideration, the Ruby-crown's song is 

 one of the most marvellous vocal per- 

 formances among birds ; being not only 

 surpassingly sweet, varied and sustained, 

 but possessed of sufficient volume to be 

 heard at a distance of two hundred yards. 

 Fortunately he sings both on the spring 

 and fall migrations." 



Mrs. Wright describes the call-note 

 as "Thin and metallic, like a vibrating 

 wire," and quotes Mr. Nehrling, who 

 speaks of the "Power, purity and volume 

 of the notes, their faultless modulation 

 and long continuance." 



Mr. Robert Ridgway wrote that this 

 little king of song was one of our very 

 smallest birds he also "ranks among the 

 sweetest singers of the country. It is won- 

 derfully powerful for one so small, but 

 it is remarkable for its softness and sweet 

 expression more than for other qualities. 

 It consists of an inexpressibly delicate 

 and musical warble, astonishingly pro- 

 tracted at times, and most beautifully 

 varied by softly rising and falling ca- 

 dences, and the most tender whistlings 

 imaginable." 



Mr. Ridgway quotes from Dr. Brewer : 

 "The notes are clear, resonant and high, 



and constitute a prolonged series, varying 

 from the lowest tones to the highest, and 

 terminating with the latter. It may be 

 heard at quite a distance, and in some re- 

 spects bears more resemblance to the song 

 of the English skylark than to that of the 

 canary, to which Mr. Audubon compares 

 it." Mr. Ridgway continues : "We have 

 never heard the skylark sing, but there is 

 certainly no resemblance between the 

 notes of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and 

 those of the canary, the latter being as in- 

 ferior in tenderness and softness as they 

 excel in loudness." 



Mr. Audubon had stated : "When I tell 

 you that its song is fully as sonorous as 

 that of the canary-bird, and much richer, 

 I do not come up to the truth, for it is not 

 only as powerful and clear, but much 

 more varied and pleasing to the ear." 



While the frequent sacrifice of the 

 adult regulus and regina through their 

 reckless absorption in their own affairs 

 and obliviousness to the presence of ene- 

 mies, lends color to the statement that 

 "The spirits of the martyrs will be lodged 

 in the crops of green birds," yet by virtue 

 of a talent other than vocal, they compel 

 few of the human family to echo the re- 

 morseful lament of John Halifax, Gentle- 

 man, 



"I took the wren's nest, 

 Bird, forgive me !" 



For but few of the most ardent seekers 

 have succeeded in locating the habitation 

 of the fairy kinglet, and the unsuccessful 

 majority perforce exclaim with Words- 

 worth, 



"Oh, blessed bird ! The earth we pace 

 Again appears to be 

 An unsubstantial, fairy place, 

 That is fit home for thee !" 



Juliette A. Owen. 



103 



