Evening star., 1944-11-06
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrdceUeH.
NELSON PLACE Sc.


Dear sir:
MY wife and have had the privi-
lege of being guests of Washington the
past several months. due to the fact
that have been taking special training
here in a naval school, Since our ar
rival we have become acquainted with
your column in The Star. We have read
/, 1t with interest, since Cur hobby is bird
study.
This afternoon while walking
! through Duifbarton Oaks Park. we dis
covered pair of birds that we are not
able to identity from the few little
books we have with us. Can you help
us out2
THE birds appeared to be male and
female AS to size, they appeared
smaller than wren. A couple of young
women nearby asked, Is 1t humming-
bird?' So it was small.
"The coloring, crown, black stripe in
center, one white stripe on either side
of center stripe. Black markings ex-
tending back from eyes.
Breast and underparts appeared
white until on close observation it
seemed to be slightly yellowish-green
shaded.
Wings, dark gray with definite mark
at wing shoulder edged with white.
White marks on wings appeared to
slant in toward the tail.
Eye, dark with faint white ring
around it.
Bird No. 2, similar to Nc. 1, except
duller coloring.
- ~ .riet;,r ~a;.ol L. ~~;S.1~ -
meath leaves similar to hummingbird
with rapid wing flutter. Alighted on
leaves and swung to the underside.
Very tame, coming to within feet
of us, at about the height of our heads
If cute can describe a bird, this one
was the 'cutest' one we have seen
''We will appreciate 1t great deal If
you can help us identify this bird
Sincerely yours, G. w. w."
Our correspondents description makes
this bird almost as much of a puzzle to
us as to him.
Our guess is that what he is talking
about is the golden n-crowned kinglet,
and that he failed to note the golden
crown.
The golden crowned and the ruby
crowned kinglets are two Of the "cutest"
birds any one will ever see hereabouts
The first is winter visitant, being
seen from late in September to late in
April.
The second. the ruby crowned king
let. is common in migration, early April
to early November, and is seen occa-
sionally in winter. eve have seen it
twice.
The golden-crowned has black and
white stripes on the head, with the gold
In the center. The males crown Is red
gold, the females crown is more canary
yellow.
AS to size, the house wren is s, inches
long, the golden-crowned kinglet is 4
inches long. and the ruby king
let is ~ inches
Both kinglets are. "cute," but the head
markings, as stated, are not exactly as
correspondent describes.
The female ruby Grown has no head
coloring, and the red coloring on her
mates head is visible only when fighting
or counting.
The golden crown of the golden
crowned kinglet shows all the time.
The females is paler yellow than the
males, and the center coloring has a
black stripe around it and then comes
white stripe with y black mark rum
ming back from the eye, and whitish
eye ring.
The worm-eating warbler, which is
5lz inches long, has two broad lateral
stripes of black and a center one Of
olive-buff, which might be seen as
white.
The black-and-white warbler, S
inches, has black and white stripes on
the head, but it is black and white all
over.
The young Of this species Is cute
little feller with black and white stripes
on his head, and brown and black
striped effect on his sides and stom-
ach, more sparrowlike.
Habits and actions Of both warblers
aFe much Is described by our, corre-
Pndent.
s...f s1