Everyday Birds

Bradford Torrey (1843-1912) was an American nature writer. His works include: Birds in the Bush (1885), A Rambler's Lease (1889), The Foot-Path Way (1892), A Florida Sketch-Book (1894), Spring Notes from Tennessee (1896), Footing it in Franconia (1901), Friends on the Shelf (1906) and Field-Days in California (1913). "The largest bird in the United States is the California vulture, or condor, which measures from tip to tip of its wings nine feet and a half. At the other end of the scale are the humming birds, one kind of which, at least, has wings that are less than an inch and a half in length. Next to these insect-like midgets come the birds which have been well named in Latin " Regulus, " and in English " kinglets" - that is to say, little kings. "