May, 1881.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



19 



out of the reach of man. Some distance 

 from the shore there are a number of islets 

 from a few yards to several hundred in ex- 

 tent. These islets were literally alive with 

 G. pencillatus, the rocks being black with 

 them and at a distance of nearly a mile the 

 stench from the accumulation of filth was 

 almost unbearable. These islets are also 

 inaccessible, as their sides are smooth and 

 almost perpendicular, even with a boat 

 nothing could be done, not even a foot- 

 hold gained to reach the coveted eggs so 

 temptingly displayed to view. In places I 

 could lean over the rocks and look into fif- 

 teen or twenty nests at a time, not over 

 ten or fifteen feet distant, some with eggs, 

 some with young, and some with the old 

 birds incubating. Birds were continually 

 going out to sea, and returning probably 

 in search of food, several of the 31. cirr- 

 hata had fish in their beaks eight or ten 

 inches long which resembled the smelt. I 

 was not able to reach the nests of these 

 birds as they were among the rocks on the 

 land. The holes were so deep and crooked 

 I could not reach them with my hand. 



The pretty red legged U. colnmha were 

 continually in motion. Some came in 

 from the sea with weeds and kelp 

 with which to bviild their nests, and out 

 they would go in a few minutes with a 

 weak whistling cry. Occasionally a flock 

 of Brown Pelicans, Pelecanus fiisctis, 

 would come sailing by, but where they 

 bred I could not tell as I never saw their 

 nests or eggs on the coast. Next season I 

 intend to make another trip to this region 

 but can assure the readers of the Oologist 

 it is anything but a pleasure, as it is a 

 loucsome, foggy, out of the way place, and 

 a Collector's life is continually in jeopardy 

 while he is on the cliffs, a single misstep 

 will fetch him into an abyss from which 

 there is no escape. This is only one 

 of the many dangers a collector is exposed 

 tj if he is located on the borders of civ- 

 ilization and soon becomes used to scenes 

 which at first he would view with a feeling 

 of horror. C. A. Allen, Nicasio, Cal. 



Least Titmouse. 



ITS NESTING HABITS IN CALIFORNIA. 



On the 15th of April, 1880, I found a 

 nest of the Least Titmouse {Psaltripams 

 minimus) that is of remarkable length. 

 The following are its measurements : 

 length, 21 inches ; diameter near upper 

 end, If inches ; diameter a foot from top 

 its greatest size, 3 inches ; diameter near 

 lower end, 2|^ inches ; distance of entrance 

 from top, 5^ inches ; depth of cavity, 7 

 inches ; diameter of entrance, f inch. 



No other nest found exceeded 9 inches 

 in length, and in every one the entrance 

 was in the top or nearly so. This nest is 

 composed of fine vegetable cotton, great 

 quantities of the pappus of compound 

 flowers, minute bits of lichens, among 

 which are woven long strips of grass-blades, 

 fine fibrous roots, and the tough inner 

 bark of weeds. Both the upper and lower 

 portions of the nest are not so solidly 

 made as is the middle portion. The nest 

 was hung upon a small limb of a live-oak, 

 about eight feet from the ground, and im- 

 mediately over an irrigating ditch. There 

 were seven eggs in the nest, incubation 

 well begun. 



The Least Titmouse is an abundant win- 

 ter resident of this county (Ventura) and 

 may be seen in flocks of five to thirty flying 

 from sage-bush to sage-bush and feeding 

 among their branches. In summer I do 

 not think they are so abundant, yet many 

 remain to breed, choosing as their favorite 

 places in which to hang their long, beauti- 

 ful pensile nests a bunch of mistletoe or 

 the thick foliage of a live-oak. Nests 

 have been found in sage and greasewood 

 bushes, and one in a bunch of cactus. My 

 observations of a number of nests and their 

 sets of eggs enables me to verify Dr. Coues' 

 remark, viz : "That the nest is usually as 

 many inches long as there are eggs in the 

 full set." My twenty-one inch nest being 

 the only exception among a dozen observed. 

 All others I have are from six to nine inches 

 long, and contained from six to nine eggs. 

 B. W. EvERMANN, Santa Paula, Gala. 



