A History of North American Birds, Land Birds. Volume 1. Robert Ridgway
of this bird from the far West are much brighter and more olivaceous above; the markings of the face are also somewhat different in showing less dusky about the eye. These may form a variety olivaceus.
The Regulus cristatus of Europe, a close ally of our bird, is distinguished by having shorter wings and longer bill; the flame-color of the head is more extended, the black border is almost wanting anteriorly. The back and rump, too, are more yellow.
Habits. The Golden-crested Kinglet, or Wren, as it is often called, occurs over nearly the whole of the North American continent. It is abundant from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and throughout the British Provinces, where it chiefly occurs in its breeding-season. In Massachusetts it is a winter resident from October until May. In Maine it is met with in spring and fall, chiefly as a migratory visitor; a few also remain, and probably breed, in the dense Thuja swamps of that State. They are most abundant in April, and again in October. In the vicinity of Calais the Golden-crest is a common summer resident, and, without doubt, breeds there.
Dr. Woodhouse mentions finding this species in abundance in New Mexico and Texas, associated with Nuthatches and Titmice. Dr. Cooper found it abundant in Washington Territory, particularly in the winter, and ascertained positively that they breed there, by seeing them feeding their young near Puget Sound, in the month of August. According to Mr. Ridgway it is much less numerous in the Great Basin than the R. calendula.
The food of this lively and attractive little bird during the summer months is almost exclusively the smaller winged insects, which it industriously pursues amid the highest tree-tops of the forest. At other seasons its habits are more those of the titmice, necessity leading it to ransack the crevices of the bark on the trunks and larger limbs of the forest-trees. It is an expert fly-catcher, taking insects readily upon the wing.
But little is known with certainty regarding its breeding-habits, and its nest and eggs have not yet been described. The presumption, however, is that it builds a pensile nest, not unlike the European congener, and lays small eggs finely sprinkled with buff-colored dots on a white ground, and in size nearly corresponding with those of our common Humming-Bird. We must infer that it raises two broods in a season, from the fact that it spends so long a period, from April to October, in its summer abode, and still more because while Mr. Nuttall found them feeding their full-fledged young in May, on the Columbia, Dr. Cooper, in the same locality, and Mr. Audubon, in Labrador, observed them doing the same thing in the month of August.
According to the observations of Mr. J. K. Lord, this species is very common on Vancouver’s Island and along the entire boundary line separating Washington Territory from British Columbia, where he met with them at an altitude of six thousand feet. He states that they build a pensile nest suspended from the extreme end of a pine branch, and that they lay from five to seven eggs. These he does not describe.
Most writers speak of this Kinglet as having no song, its only note being a single chirp. But in this they are certainly greatly in error. Without having so loud or so powerful a note as the Ruby-crown (R. calendula), for its song will admit of no comparison with the wonderful vocal powers of that species, it yet has a quite distinctive and prolonged succession of pleasing notes, which I have heard it pour forth in the midst of the most inclement weather in February almost uninterruptedly, and for quite an interval.
Bischoff obtained a large number of this species at Kodiak, and also at Sitka, where it seemed to replace the Ruby-crown.
Regulus cuvieri, Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1832, 288, pl. lv, etc.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1859, 228; Rev. Am. Birds, 66.
Sp. Char. Size and general appearance probably that of R. satrapa. A black band on the forehead passing back, through and behind the eye, separated by a grayish band from another black band on the crown, which embraces in the centre of the crown an orange patch. Length, 4.25 inches; extent of wings, 6.
Hab. “Banks of Schuylkill River, Penn. June, 1812.” Aud.
This species continues to be unknown, except from the description of Mr. Audubon, as quoted above. It appears to differ mainly from R. satrapa in having two black bands (not one) on the crown anteriorly, separated by a whitish one; the extreme forehead being black instead of white, as in satrapa. The specimen was killed in June, 1812, on the banks of the Schuylkill River, in Pennsylvania.
Motacilla calendula, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 337. Regulus calendula, Licht. Verz. 1823, No. 408.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 226; Rev. 66.—Sclater, P. Z. S. 1857, 202.—Ib. 1858, 300 (mountains of Oaxaca).—Ib. 1859, 362 (Xalapa).—Ib. 1864, 172 (City of Mex.).—Samuels, 178.—Dall & Bannister (Alaska).—Cooper, Birds Cal. 1, 33.—Ib. Ibis, I, 1859, 8 (Guatemala).—Cooper & Suckley, P. R. R. XII, II, 1859, 174.—Reinhardt, Ibis, 1861, 5 (Greenland).—Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 475 (Texas, winter). Corthylio calendula, Cab. Jour. Orn. I, 1853, 83 (type of genus). Regulus rubineus, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. II, 1807, 49, pl. civ, cv.
Other figures: Wils. Am. Orn. I, 1808, pl. v, fig. 3.—Doughty, Cab. II, pl. vi.—Aud. Orn. Biog. II, pl. cxcv.—Ib. Birds Am. II, pl. cxxxiii.
Sp. Char. Above dark greenish-olive, passing into bright olive-green on the rump and outer edges of the wings and tail. The under parts are grayish-white tinged with pale olive-yellow, especially behind. A ring round the eye, two bands on the wing-coverts, and the exterior of the inner tertials white. Male. Crown with a large concealed patch of scarlet feathers, which are white at the base. Female and young without the red on the crown. Length, 4.50; wing, 2.33; tail, 1.85.
Hab. Greenland; whole of North America, and south to Guatemala. Oaxaca (high region, November), Sclater. Xalapa and Guatemala, Sclater.
This species of Regulus appears to lack the small feather which, in satrapa, overlies and conceals the nostrils, which was probably the reason with Cabanis and Blyth for placing it in a different genus. There is no other very apparent difference of form, however, although this furnishes a good character for distinguishing between young specimens of the two species.
Habits. Much yet remains to be learned as to the general habits, the nesting, and distribution during the breeding-season of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It is found, at varying periods, in all parts of North America, from Mexico to the shores of the Arctic seas, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and, although its breeding-places are not known, its occurrence in the more northern latitudes, from Maine to the extreme portions of the continent, during the season of reproduction, indicate pretty certainly its extended distribution throughout all the forests from the 44th parallel northward. None of our American ornithologists are known to have met with either its eggs or its nest, but we may reasonably infer that its nest is pensile, like that of its European kindred, and from being suspended from the higher branches, from its peculiar structure and position has thus far escaped observation.
In the New England States they are most abundant in the months of October and April. A few probably remain in the thick evergreen woods throughout the winter, and in the northern parts of Maine they are occasionally found in the summer, and, without doubt, breed there. In the damp swampy woods of the islands in the Bay of Fundy, the writer heard their remarkable song resounding in all directions throughout the month of June.
The song of this bird is by far the most remarkable of its specific peculiarities. Its notes are clear, resonant, and high, and constitute a prolonged series, varying from the lowest tones to the highest, terminating with the latter. It may be heard at quite a distance, and in some respects bears more resemblance to the song of the English Skylark than to that of the Canary, to which Mr. Audubon compares it.
Their food appears to be chiefly the smaller insects, in pursuit of which they are very active, and at times appear to be so absorbed in their avocation as to be unmindful of the near presence of the sportsman or collector, and unwarned by the sound of the deadly gun. They are also said by Wilson to feed upon the stamens of the blossoms of the maple, the apple, peach, and other trees. Like the other species, they are expert insect-takers, catching them readily on the wing. They are chiefly to be met with in the spring among the tree-tops,