lA-!7. J PROC'EkDINGS of UNITED SIATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 220 

 Parus rufesceiis Towns. Cientitnt-huclud ChicLddcc. 



Abuudaut iu the iall on the coast, where i shot many, oeeu but once 

 elsewhere. 1 obtainetl a single indiNid'ial at the western base of Mount 

 Shasta on -hily IT, 188^5. It was found near a wayside watering-trougli, 

 where the stage road i)assed through the densest part of the forest. 



Clianiaga fasciata G;iuil>. tfren-TH. 



Found constantly among the briars and brushwood in JIumboldt 

 County iu the fall. ]Sothing like the sweet song of the lollosving va- 

 riety WciS cv'or heard in this region, but this may have beeu due to the 

 late season of the year. 



Chaniaea fasciata henshawi Ridgw. PaUid Wren-Tit. 



This variety of the Wren-Tit is a rather rare summer visitor to the 

 Lower McCloud. In July it was observed in the bushes that filled some 

 of the canons leading into the rugged mountain opjjosite the United 

 States fishery at liaird, where its singidar and ])leasing song, not much 

 inferior to that of the Canon Wren, was often heard. In November it 

 was occasionally seen in the shiubbery along thi' riv(U'. 



Psaitriparus minimus (Tdwns.). Leaal Til. 



A rather common resident of the valleys and ib A-hills; ranging higher 

 up iu summer. 



The Least Titmice go about in Hocks of a dozen or two, the different 

 members of the bands keeping w^ell together in their foraging. They 

 usually all settle in the same bush, scattering through it and inspecting 

 it thoroughly, and when two or three begin to move off the rest soon 

 follow. 



In the foot hills they were apparently as plentiful in winter as in sum- 

 mer. The timber belts about Ked Lluif, in the U[tper Sacramento Val- 

 ley, were favorite breeding resorts wMth them, as I found a dozen or more 

 nests, old and new, within a week's time. 



A nest found Ajuil 28 in some dead willow^s near the river contained 

 three eggSj but all tliose lound after May 1 were emi)ty or contained 

 young birds. Theii- <listance.s from the ground did not average higher 

 than 12 feet. 



1 know^ of no Xorih American bird l)u,ldiiig a more ex(]uisite nest or 

 larger in proportion to its own size than this one. The materials com- 

 posicg it, such as the '•cotton ''of the cottouwood tree, the silky co- 

 coons of insects, the down of i)lants, small mosses, blossoms, »Src. are 

 simply "felted" together, and the structture dei)ends for its firmness 

 upon whatever adhesive i)roper(ies the substances ha\e for each other. 



It is a long pendant nest, somewhat after I he fashion of an oriole's but 

 consisting of these soft mateiials, is (piite tlexible. The entrance is an 

 inconspicuous hole in one side, near tlie toi), whicdi is never opeu above 

 like the oriole's. It is a. curious agglomeration which must be seen to 

 be appreciated. 



