LLOYD'S BUSHTTT 459 



The status of Lloyd's bushtit, as at least of casual occurrence, in 

 southern New Mexico, seems to be established, for Mrs. Bailey (1928) 

 says that "a full plumaged adult male was taken m the San Luis Moun- 

 tains, July 19, 1892 (Mearns), and is now in the collection of the 

 United States National Museum." There may be other specimens of 

 females and young, which are not so readily distinguished from 

 plumbeus. 



Van Tyne and Sutton (1937) do not agree with the concept that 

 lloydi is a subspecies of minimus; they treat it as subspecies of melano- 

 tis, and evidently regard minimus and melanotis as specifically distinct. 

 They say: 



All of the forty-three Brewster County [Texas] specimens we have examined 

 are without exception clearly melanotis or mimmus. In this region melanotis is 

 confined to higher altitudes more definitely than is minimus but the breeding 

 ranges of the two forms overlap widely and their relations seem to be those of 

 two distinct species. The only bit of contrary evidence we noted was the fact 

 that on May 5, 1932, Dr. Peet collected at Boot Spring an adult male melanotis 

 in company with a breeding female minimus. The two birds seemed to be traveling 

 together, and no other Bush-tits were seen about at the time. The whole problem 

 of the relation between these two forms is a fascinating one which calls for more 

 study in this critical region. 



Nesting. — Mr. Sennett (1888) reports a nest taken in Presidio Coun- 

 ty, Tex., on June 21, 1887, by William Lloyd, for whom he named the 

 species. It was found in Limpia Canyon, at an altitude of 6,200 feet, and 

 was fastened to twigs of a cedar seven feet from the ground. "The 

 cedar tree was twenty-five feet high, situated on a divide between two 

 ravines." 



There is a set of five eggs in the Doe collection in Florida, said to be 

 of this subspecies; it was taken by Capt. R. W. Barrell on April 20, 

 1890, in Grant County, N. Mex., which is in the southwestern corner of 

 the State and within the possible breeding range of this race; the nest 

 was placed 5 feet up in a live oak. There is a set of seven eggs in my 

 collection, taken by E. F. Pope in the Comanche Mountains, Tex., on 

 April 11, 1912; the nest "was suspended on the end of a drooping branch 

 of a small pine, 12 feet from the ground." 



Eggs. — The eggs of Lloyd's bushtit are apparently just like those of 

 other bushtits. The measurements of 23 eggs average 13.8 by 10.5 

 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 14.5 by 10.6, 

 14.0 by 11.4, 13.2 by 10.0 millimeters. 



Plumages. — The following remarks by Van Tyne and Sutton (1937), 

 based on specimens from Brewster County, Tex., are interesting as 

 showing some of the characters of lloydi and some of its variations in 

 plumage : 



