INCOMPLETE HISTORY OF THE VERDIN 131 



thorns, till it becomes a mass as large as a man's head, or 

 9.00x5.50 inches outside, the cavity 4.50x2.70, with an open- 

 ing in one side, just large enough for the bird to enter. On 

 the 27th of March, I found the first nest containing eggs, and 

 afterwards many more. There were in all cases four eggs 

 [others say four to six], pale blue, with numerous small brown 

 spots, chiefly near the large end, though some had very few 

 spots and were much paler ; size 0.60 x 0.44 inch. In one nest 

 which I watched they hatched in about ten days, and in two 

 weeks more the young were ready to leave the nest." 



I never saw the Yerdin at Fort Whipple, and do not think 

 it leaves the lower portions of the Territory for the mountains ; 

 nor have other observers found it in elevated portions of Ari- 

 zona or New Mexico, though it occurs in suitable places across 

 the country from the Kio Grande Valley to that of the Colo- 

 rado, and thence down the peninsula of Lower California to 

 Ca.pe Saint Lucas. No fairly full account of its habits, except 

 as far as its nest-building is concerned, has appeared, and I 

 particularly regret my inability to complete the history of the 

 species. I bring no message from this interesting bird only 

 gleaning here and there from those who have been before me. 

 Heermann, Kenuerly and Cooper, the principal observers besides 

 Xantus, agree upon a trait that is extremely un-parine I mean 

 the wildness they attribute to the bird. Heermann speaks of 

 certains actions, such as hanging "back downward, which are 

 tit-like, yet shared by many other small birds. Cooper alludes 

 to habits " intermediate between those of Titmice and Warb- 

 lers", a chickadee-like song, and a "triple lisping note like 

 that of tsee-tu-tu". A sort of local migration has been noticed, 

 though the birds reside in the Colorado Valley at least as high 

 as Fort Mojave. Evidently we have much to learn of the Ver- 

 din, and much light upon its doubtful affinities to hope for, 

 from thoughtful study of its habits, as well as from examina- 

 tion of those portions of its structure, no hint of which can be 

 gained from inspection of stuffed specimens. 



