The Plumbeous Gnatcatcher 
eye-ring, usually interrupted behind, thus thrown into relief; wings rather more exten¬ 
sively overlaid with blue-gray; the white of outer tail-feathers much reduced,—nearly 
confined to outer web and tip of outermost pair, the succeeding pair narrow-edged on 
outer web and broadly tipped, the next pair very narrowly so edged and tipped with 
white. Adult female: Like male, but without black on head; pileum plain dull bluish 
gray (deep Payne’s gray), contrasting with back, which is more or less overlaid with 
brownish. Immatures are much like adult females, but with more or less grayish edging 
on outer webs of tertials, as in P. c. obscura. Length (almost exactly that of P. c. 
obscura) about 114.3 (4.50); wing 46 (1.18); tail 50 (1.97); bill 9 (.35); tarsus 17.4 (.685). 
Recognition Marks. —Pygmy size; blue-gray with black-and-white coloration; 
black crown of male distinguishes from P. c. obscura; larger, lighter, and more purely 
white below, as compared with P. californica, from which it is further distinguished 
by notable increase of white in tail. 
Nesting. — Nest: A deep cup of fine gray vegetable fibers, bound with cobwebs 
and lined with plant-down, or variously; placed in bush or weed, or low in tree, and 
usually settled among supporting twigs or upright branch. Eggs: 4 or 5; much as in 
preceding species, but perhaps more sparingly spotted. Av. of 20 eggs in M. C. O. 
coll.: 13.5 x 10.4 (.53 x .41). Season: April and June; two broods. 
General Range. —The Lower Sonoran zone of the southwestern LTnited States, 
narrowly defined, northern Mexico, and Lower California. 
Distribution in California. —Common resident of the Colorado Desert and the 
valley of the Colorado River; less common on the Mohave and associated deserts, as far 
north as Armagosa River, in eastern Inyo County. 
Authorities.—Heermann ( Culicivora atricapilla) , Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 
vol. ii., 1853, p. 262, part (Ft. Yuma); ibid., Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv., vol. x., pt. iv., 1859, 
p. 39 (habits, notes); Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. vi., 1881, p. 102 (crit.; syn.); 
Grinnell, Univ. Calif. Pub. Zook, vol. xii., 1914, p. 214 (Colorado Valley; occurrence; 
nest); ibid., Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 11, 1915, p. 168 (status in Calif.). 
“ POTHOLES: Feb. 11, 1913: 
Chee chee to yaaaa; chee chee to yadad —It was thus that this absurd 
little dab of blue-gray dared to mock the birdman’s dignity from the 
dense cover of an atriplex near the old Indian rancheria. I hurried 
round the bush to dislodge His Sauciness, but he retreated as rapidly, 
keeping the giant weed between us and jeering volubly the while. Finally, 
by making a feint in one direction and doubling in the other, I startled 
the urchin, so that he first stumbled midair and then dashed into another 
bush. Poor little wisp! He is a ‘specimen’ now, very scientific, but his 
saucy little spirit has fled.” 
The case is really a pretty serious one, though, and a good deal of 
gun work will be necessary before we shall know exactly where plumbea 
belongs, and by how much it differs from ccerulea ( obscura ) and califor- 
nica. Except as regards adult males, the birds are almost indistinguish¬ 
able to eye. While the notes of plumbea are weaker and softer than those 
of ccerulea, it takes a good ear backed by no little experience to dis¬ 
tinguish them infallibly. The ranges of plumbea and californica overlap 
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