356 LAND BIRDS 
fearlessly through the fall woods, until the spring calls 
them to commence nest-building again. 
75la. WESTERN GNATCATCHER. — Polioptila carulea 
obscura. 
Famity: The Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, ete. 
Length : 4.00-5.50. 
Adult Male: Upper parts dark bluish slate-color, lightest on rump, 
bluest on crown. A blackish line over eye; tail black, outer feathers 
edged with white ; under parts grayish white. 
Adult Female, and Young: Similar to male, but grayer; no black over 
eye; upper parts of young tinged with brownish. 
Geographical Distribution: Western Texas, west through Arizona to 
California and Lower California, south to Mexico. 
California Breeding Range: Locally through the Sonoran zone, except 
the humid coast belt. 
Breeding Season: May. 
Nest: In bushes, 3 or 4 feet from the ground; made of shreds of bark ; 
lined with plant fibre and feathers, and covered with lichen. 
Eggs: 4 or 5; whitish, wreathed and speckled with rusty brown and 
purplish gray. Size 0.57 X 0.42. 
THe Western Gnatecatcher is a common resident of 
the lower mountain altitudes throughout California, a 
part of those found here in the winter migrating to more 
northerly parts in the summer and the rest remaining to 
breed. Mr. Chamberlin writes of this species in “ The 
Condor,” March, 1901, as follows: “The name Gnat- 
catcher is misleading as regards the diet of this species, 
for I have repeatedly seen one tackle a butterfly almost 
as large as himself, and bag his game too. I think, 
however, his food is largely made up of the eggs and 
larvee of insects which are found on the under side of 
