358 LAND BIRDS 



even then the food was ofteu chewed by the adult before 

 it was given to the young. 



The nest itself was a fairylike structure, not much 

 larger than that of the hummingbird. When not busy 

 hunting insects for his brood, the father flitted through 

 the trees with a happy little song. It was a silvery 

 warble, eminently in keeping with the tiny singer. His 

 note of protest was a shrill " tzee, tzee, tzee," very like 

 the call of the golden-crowned kinglet. 



753. BLACK-TAILED GN ATCATCHER. — Polioptila 

 californica. 



Family : The Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, etc. 



Length: 4.15-4.50. 



Adult Male : Crown black ; upper parts dark slate-color ; tail black ; 



outer tail-feathers edged with white ; under parts gray ; belly washed 



with rusty. 

 Adult Female : Upper parts slate-color, merging to black on tail ; under 



parts gray. 

 Young: Like female, but tinged with brown. 



Geographical Distribution : Pacific coast of Southern and Lower Cali- 

 fornia. 

 California Breeding Range : Local in the San Diegan district, northwest 



to Ventura. 

 Breeding Season: March, April, and May. 

 Nest : A compact, cup-shaped structure ; of vegetable fibre, sage leaves, 



plant down, and spider webs, lined with plant down and feathers. 



Placed near the ground in weeds, low bushes, or cactuses. 

 Eggs: 4 ; pale pea-green, thickly speckled with brownish red or rusty. 



Size 0.50 X 0.45. 



Although this Gnatcatcher is a common resident in 

 most parts of Southern California, its nesting habits are 

 more or less difficult to observe. Only one nest of this 

 species has ever come under my observation, and that 



