COAST BUSHTIT 449 



bed of flowers nearby. Suddenly two of the tiny birds were rolling 

 about on the ground, fighting in dead earnest. Then they flew back to 

 the tree, only to bounce around a few minutes later in a wheelbarrow 

 that was standing under the tree. Now the most dramatic thing hap- 

 pened. The whole flock became excited and fluttered about the con- 

 testants, calling their shrill alarm notes and showing the greatest solici- 

 tation as long as the mites were fighting. In a few minutes all was as 

 peaceful and merry as ever." 



Of an unusual roosting habit, he says: 'Tt seems strange to see these 

 lowly midgets roosting in tall, open-branched eucalyptus trees, especially 

 in winter. Several times in Balboa Park, San Diego, I had seen a 

 flock fly into eucalyptus trees after sundown to roost. So, on December 

 27, we went to the locality about sunset. Between sunset and dark, a 

 flock 01 50 flew out of a brushy canyon to a dead acacia that stood be- 

 tween the canyon and a grove of eucalyptus, thence from one eucalyptus 

 to another, some going a hundred feet or more before settling down for 

 the night. Another instance of similar roosting in tall, swaying 

 eucalyptus occurred on my place at Pacific Beach in 1935. All through 

 November and December, even in gusty, rainy weather, a flock roosted 

 every night in several tall eucalyptus near the house." 



Illustrating the flocking habits of bushtits, Robert S. Woods writes to 

 me: "No better demonstration of the intensely gregarious disposition 

 of this species can be found than that which is afforded by a visit of the 

 flock to a bird bath. Though there may be ample room around the 

 rim of the basin, all will crowd together on one side, while newcomers 

 and those from the outskirts of the group continually alight on the backs 

 of the others, trying to force their way into the middle of the line. Even 

 when only three are present, one of those on the outside may fly up and 

 try to wedge itself between the other two. Apparently they feel safe or 

 content only when flanked on both sides by others of their kind." 



Mr, Rathbun, in his notes, tells of an incident that illustrates the 

 sociability of bushtits ; he found a nest toward dusk and says : 'T lightly 

 touched the branch to which the nest was attached, and, to my surprise, 

 four tits flew from the nest ; as this was too early in the season for any 

 young of the year, I thought I would see what the nest contained and 

 found six eggs that were well incubated." Apparently, two of the birds 

 were the owners of the nest and the other two had taken up quarters in 

 the nest for the night. 



Voice. — Some of the notes of the bushtit are mentioned above in the 

 quotations from Dr. Grinnell's (1903) excellent paper on this subject. 

 He recognizes five distinct notes, or variations or combinations of notes, 

 each of which seemed to him to signify some particular state of mind 

 of the birds: 



687497— 4*-31 



