IDYLLS OF BIRD LIFE 
ears. They came from the willows so we immediately pro¬ 
ceeded toward them in hopes of locating the owner of the mys¬ 
terious notes. After a few minutes of anxious searching we all 
located the bird at about the same instant. To tell the truth, 
/ 
I did not know what he was, as I could only see his breast and 
there were no distinguishing marks about it, until he bent low 
over the twig in his search for food, and then I discerned his 
beautiful golden crown and knew him to be a golden-crowned 
kinglet, a very pretty little bird a trifle smaller than the warblers. 
“I know what he is,” I exclaimed, and I had the two of my 
' 
companions greatly excited until I let them in on the mystery. 
This had only been their second time out on a bird study expe¬ 
dition, hence their ignorance of some of the more common birds. 
“Does he stay with us the entire year?” asked Jack. 
> .< 
‘No,” I answered, he is only a Winter resident and arrives 
i : jv r l 
V , ^ fy A / v VCT _ _ , / 
here about this time, but leaves again in April for the mountain 
regions and spruce forests of our northern states where he 
V’ „ _ jC 
breeds. He is a verv hardy little bird and endures our most 
' £> 6 . 
“severe Winters with evident relish.” 
hX / u l ■ / ‘ ... 3 
“There is a robin,” remarked Tom, as we were climbing a 
steep hill for a short cut to another part of the woods 
‘Did you say that was a robin, Tom? 
[ 115 ] 
“1 
U' 5 ''- 
T 
