PERCHING BIRDS 



74'9a. Sitka Kinglet. Regulas calendula 

 griniielli. 



Range. — Pacific coast, breeding in Alaska. 

 Said to be brighter than the preceding va- 

 riety. 



749b. Dusky Kinglet. 

 obscurus. 



Reiruliis calendula 



r uli\ CI n\^ iiLtl Kinglt t 



Range. — Guadalupe Island, Lower California. 



This species nests during March in the large 

 cypress and pine groves at high elevations 

 above the ground. The nests are similar in 

 construction to those of the coaimon Ruby- 

 crown, and the eggs are scarcely different from 

 some specimens of that species; white, dotted 

 and wreathed with reddish brown. Size .56 

 X .43. 



T.')!. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. 

 I'olioptila cmrulea ccerulea. 



Range. — United States, east of the Rockies, breeding from the Gulf to the 

 Middle and Central States; casually north to Massachusetts and Minnesota. 



These graceful birds are bluish gray above with a black forehead and central 

 tail featiiers, and white uuderparts. They are common in wooded districts in 

 the souih, where tliey saddle their beautiful nests upon horizontal branches or 

 in crotches usually at quite an elevation from tlie ground; they 

 resemble large Ruby-throated Hummers' nests but the walls are 

 much higher and thicker; they are made of plant fibres and 

 down, lined with cottony substances and hair, and covered on 

 the outside with lichens to mateli the limb upon which it is 

 placed. Their eggs are bluish white, specked with reddish chest- 

 nut. Size ..58 X .45. Data. — Chattanooga. Tenn.. April 30°, 1900. 

 Nest of moss, covered with lichens and lined with hair and feathers; 

 from the ground in a small tree. 



whi te 

 20 feet 



T.Ola. Western CiNatcatciier. Polioplila cwriilca obscura. 



Range. — Western United States and Lower California. 



The habits and eggs of this sub-species are the same as those of the eastern 

 bird, and the nests do not differ except, perhaps, in loss ornamentation of the 

 exterior. 



752. Plujireous Gnatcatcher. Poliopfila plumbca. 



Range. — Mexican boundary from western Texas to southern California. 



__„ Tills species has a bright shining black crown and more black 



,/if;. .': on the tail than the eastern Gnatcatcher. They saddle their 



nests upon the branches of trees or in upright forks, usually at an 



elevation of ten feet or more from the ground; the nests are 



made of plant fibres and fine bark strips, compactly felted to- 



(irsenish biuo gether, and with little, if any, ornamental lichens on the exterior. 



Their eggs are pale greenish blue, spotted with reddish brown, and vary from 



three to five in number. Size .54 x .44. 



441 



