120 BUSH-TIT. 
birds, while different species of Hummingbirds scintillate among the fragrant mountain 
lilies, the California lilacs (Ceanothus), fremontias, garryas, manzanitas and madrojfias, 
and among the honeysuckles, roses, and fuchsias of the gardens. 
But little larger than the brilliant-throated Liliputians of the bird-world, is the 
subject of our life-sketch, the BusH-Tit, or Least-Tit. In different varieties* it ranges 
from Washington to Lower California. The bird was first added to our avifauna by 
Mr. Townsend in 1837, and a few years later a plate of the species, and also of the 
nest, was given in Audubon’s famous “Birds of America.”” Dr. Gambel found the species 
very abundant in California, during the winter. The woods were alive with busy and 
noisy troops, searching for food in company with Kinglets. While thus engaged, they 
assume all possible attitudes, of which these mobile little bodies are capable. Although 
constantly twittering, they are so intent on their employment that they appear to 
lose sight of all danger. At times Dr. Gambel was completely surrounded by a 
whole flock so that he could almost touch them with his hand. In habits and actions 
this species is so very similar to other Titmice that it is difficult to detect any difference. 
Like all the other species, it is a very hardy bird. According to Townsend, it is a con- 
stant resident along the Columbia River, where it hops about among the bushes, hangs 
from the twigs in the manner of other Titmice, and keeps up a constant twittering 
which is characterized by a rapid enunciation, resembling the sounds thshish-tshist- 
tsee-twee. 
But while all the other Titmice, excepting the Verdin, breed in holes, the members 
of this genus are known to be expert nest-builders. They all construct fine, durable 
purse-shaped, hanging nests, with a round orifice on the side near the top. In this 
respect they resemble the European Aegithalus pendulinus, but the nest of our Bush-Tit 
is still more beautiful and built of softer materials, which are woven together to form 
a remarkably complicate texture. The achievement of such a marvelous piece of work- 
manship not only requires unusual dexterity and skill, but also assiduous toil. A lady 
in California informs me that she watched the construction of a Bush-Tit’s nest from the 
beginning till the deposition of the first egg. She observed that the wee creatures had 
to toil two full weeks, before their beautiful domicile was completed. Generally this 
artificial structure is found on some horizontal branch of a shrub or a tree, often only a 
few feet from the ground. It is never basket-like—i. e. with the opening on the top, as 
are the similarly elaborate structures of the Vireos or Orioles, but it is comparatively 
long, closed above, and with the entrance hole on one side. Dr. Cooper says, the 
nest is so large, compared with the size of the birds, as to suggest the idea that the 
flock unite to build it. He gives the measurements as 8 inches in length and 8 inches 
in diameter, outside; the cavity being 5 inches deep and 1.50 inches in diameter. He 
found the birds the year around near San Francisco, and discovered one nest as early 
as the Ist of March at San Diego. 
As a rule, the nest is composed of soft materials, such as moss, lichens, rootlets, 
fine grasses, bast, cottony substances, etc., the interior being also lined with soft plant 
matter and numerous feathers, of which some can frequently be discerned in and through 
the opening. The felting is generally so perfect that the outside appears quite smooth 
* Psaltriparus minimus californicus, and’ P. minimus grindae. 
