THE OOLOGIST. 



181 



standing over water. The eggs, five in 

 number measure, .58x.47, .57x.48, .57x 

 .47, .56x.48, .57x.48. 



25. Wood Thrush. Turdus mustelinus. 

 A common summer resident. A nest 

 taken June 6th, '91, was made of leaves, 

 straw and a layer of mud, lined with 

 fine roots and placed in a beech-tree 10 

 feet up. The eggs, three in number, 

 measure .92x.71, .94x.71, 96x.72. 



26. Bluebird. Sialia sialis. Common 

 Resident. Nests in bird boxes, holes in 

 "trees, tin cans, etc. A set of six eggs 

 taken April 24th, '91, measure .86x.66, 

 ,85x.65, .84x.64, .86x.65, .85x.64, ,84x.64. 



Thos. A. Smith wick, 

 Walke, Bertie Co., N. C. 



California Bush-Tit. 

 Psaltriparus minimus calif vrnicus. 



Description.— Tail long, feathers graduated. 

 -Above of a dark olivaceous -cinerous ; top and 

 sides of head dusky brown; whitish brown 

 ■darker on sides. Sexes alike. Length 4 in. ; 

 tail, S.25; wing, 1.90 

 Hab.— California. 



The Bush-Tits are among the small- 

 ■est of North American birds. The 

 species found in California is somewhat 

 smaller in size and lighter in color than 

 that from Oregon and Washington. The 

 territory of both species over-lap in 

 northern California. 



The California Bush-Tits are noisy, 

 fearless, industrious birds: wandering 

 in loose flocks they glean their humble 

 fare from tree and bush uttering aL the 

 While their cheerful tweet, tweet, tweet, 

 iwee,Siud are so intent upon their occupa- 

 tion that all danger is disregarded. If 

 perchance an intruder ventures in their 

 midst they cease for a moment their oc- 

 cupation and gaze upon the stranger 

 With evident curiosity but when they 

 perceive that no harm is intended they 

 continue their work as noisily and in- 

 dustriously as before. 



Although they often wander into 

 orchards bordering the cities yet they 

 are strictly rural residents and love the 



quiet wooded canons and hill-sides of 

 the retired, uninhabited districts of this 

 genial clime and here we meet with 

 them in our country strolls. They usu- 

 ally move in small flocks but in spring 

 domestic duties necessitate the break- 

 ing up of these- happy little groups in 

 order that the little creatures may be- 

 gin the construction of their pretty ar- 

 boreal homes, and subsequently, rear 

 their little broods. 



The home of the Bush-Tit is a model, 

 of bird architecture, it is securely hid- 

 den in the dense, drooping foliage of a 

 tree, purse-shaped with an entrance on 

 the side near the top. Its average 

 measurements are as follows: length 8 

 or 9 inches; width, 4 or 5 inches. The 

 materials used are wool, lichens, plant- 

 down, twigs and feathers. 



The breeding season begins about the 

 middle of March and extends through 

 April and May. The eggs number from 

 five to nine, are pure white in color 

 and measuse about one-half inch in 

 length. 



H. C. LlLLIE, 



Santa Barbara. Cal. 



Nighthawks in Binghamton, N. Y. 



It is a fact worthy of note that the 

 Nighthawks that frequent our city 

 each summer are very unequally dis- 

 tributed. In the suburbs and open 

 country adjacent, where one would ex- 

 pect to find them, they are compara- 

 tively few in numbers, but about the 

 business portion of the city they are 

 scai'celylessnoticable than the English 

 Sparrow. 



With this change in habitat they have 

 apparently changed their habits and 

 ai'e less Nighthawks than ever. Every 

 morning, and all day long on cloudy 

 days, they are abroad, and even at 

 high noon on sunny days the light 

 seems to be no disadvantage to them if 

 they choose to move about. True to 

 Nighthawk traditions, however, the 



