463 
KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC. 
about in the thorn bushes like a kinglet, scolding and sputtering 
when you are near its nest. Very much of a stay-at-home little per¬ 
son it is, too, sleeping all the winter nights in the old nests, relined 
with feathers and hair, or in new ones built for the especial purpose. 
It shows almost as much anxiety when its winter house is ap¬ 
proached as if it contained eggs or young. Poke your finger into 
the small round hole at the side of the nest early in the morning or 
after sundown in January, and you will feel a flutter of feathers or 
get a sharp peck on the fingers to teach you better manners. Even 
in the breeding season the bird not engaged in incubation spends the 
nights in a nest not far away, probably an old one used for eggs the 
previous year. 
The song of the verdin seems even more out of proportion to his 
inches than his nest, and on following’it up you expect to find a 
big warbler or sparrow instead of such a tiny bird. 
I once saw a verdin pick a scarlet lysium berry, and with it 
grasped firmly in one foot, his tarsus resting across a branch, eat the 
juicy pulp from around the seeds with more ease and grace than a 
hawk could boast in picking a sparrow. Vernon Bailey. 
FAMILY SYLVIIDJEj : KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, 
ETC. 
KEY TO GENERA. 
1. Tail graduated, marked with white. Polioptila, p. 465. 
1'. Tail emarginate, not marked with white .... Regulus, p. 463. 
GENUS REGULUS. 
General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, straight, 
slender; nostrils concealed; wings pointed, longer than 
emarginate tail; tarsus slender, longer than middle toe and 
claw, not scaled. 
KEY TO SPECIES. 
1. Crown marked with black and yellow. 
2. Coloration duller. satrapa, p. 463. 
2'. Coloration brighter.olivaceus, p. 464. 
1'. Crown not marked with black and yellow ; male with red crown patch. 
2. Upper parts grayish olive.calendula, p. 464. 
2'. Upper parts sooty olive.grinnelli, p. 465. 
748. Regulus satrapa Licht. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 
Adult male. — Crown encircled anteriorly with hlaclc , bordered inside by 
yellow , with a central orange patch ; rest of upper parts gray¬ 
ish olive, more olive toward rump ; wings with two whitish 
bands ; under parts dingy whitish. Adult female: similar, 
but crown patch wholly yellow. Young : crown patch want¬ 
ing but white line over eye; breast washed with fawn 
Fig. 588. 
Fig. 589. 
