434 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



various wild fruits and berries. But it builds most interesting winter 

 homes for its protection and warmth. Mrs. Bailey (1928) says that 

 "in southern Arizona, out of fifteen Verdin nests that I found in one 

 small tract, ten showed signs of winter occupation and nine were found 

 to contain roosting birds, the small occupants being flushed at intervals 

 from 4.28 p.m. until after sunset, at various dates from December 9, 

 1920, to March 13, 1921. Two of the little birds seen going to their 

 nests went half an liour or more before sunset, when it was light enough 

 to be seen by Sharp-shinned Hawks and any other too observant 

 neighbor." 



She noticed that these nests were usually under thick thorny trees or 

 bushes, which gave the bird some additional protection as it went to 

 its nest. 



Mr. Oilman (1902) writes: "Last December I found two female 

 winter nests and later saw several of both sexes. One of them in a 

 mesquite tree was ten or twelve feet from the ground and measured 

 more than eight inches long by seven v/ide and seven deep. Lining was 

 about one and one-quarter inches thick and composed of feathers — 

 quail, chicken and others. * * * The nests of male and female difTer a 

 little, the form.er being less elaborate, smaller, v/ith not so much lining 

 in it. The female unnter nest differs but little from the breeding nest 

 and I am inclined to believe in some cases is used as such." 



W. L. Dawson (1923) says that "two male lodges in the M. C. O. 

 are eacli only three inches in length over all, with openings at either end, 

 and about two and a half inches of clear space inside — not room enough 

 to turn around in, but just sufificient protection from the pounce of an 

 Elf Owl. * * * Verdins are not gregarious, like Bush-tits ; but also 

 thev are never solitary, for they roam the desert in pairs, or, in small 

 familv groups, or in loose association. It is here that the remarkable 

 penetrative, or carrying pov/er, of the silp note serves the Verdin in 

 good stead, for it allows mated birds to hunt, say, a hundred yards 

 apart, without actually losing each other." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States and northern Mexico; not regu- 

 larly migratory. 



The range of the verdin extends north to southern California (Vic- 

 torville, Barstow, and Death Valley) ; southern Nevada (Corn Creek 

 and Bunkerville) ; southwestern Utah (St. George) ; southern New 

 Mexico (San Antonio, Tularosa Flats, and Carlsbad) ; and south- 

 western Texas (MonahanB, Castle Mountains, Kerrvillc, and Sequin). 



