1881.] Notes on the Breeding of a few Western Birds. 213 
built a smaller and neater nest, composed of fibers from the dead 
cactus and a few fine grasses, and lined with the soft fibers. The 
eggs, three in number, like those of the Abert’s finch, were of a 
light blue color and marked more universally and thickly with 
dark spots, thicker at the larger end. 
The little house finch (Carpodacus frontalis) is everywhere 
abundant throughout Southern California.and Arizona. I found 
its nests in all sorts of places and at all times. The eggs are very 
similar to those of our Eastern purple finch. The Western lark 
(Sturnella neglecta), although everywhere abundant, escaped my 
notice in nesting until just as I was leaving- California, when I 
found a nest and six nearly incubated eggs. There is no percepti- 
ble difference between the eggs and those of S. magua. The 
black flycatcher (Sayornis nigricans), a bird much resembling our 
pewee in its habits and mode of nesting, is not rare in California. 
They seem to be in pairs all the year round, and may raise a very 
early brood. The only nest I found was at Cabazon, Cal., and 
was plastered to the side of a house after the fashion of the barn 
swallow. It was composed of mud and lined with grasses, and 
contained four pure white eggs of delicate texture. At this same 
place, in some willow trees growing alongside a little stream, I 
found several nests of the Arkansas finch ( Chrysomitris psaltria), 
all with young birds except one, which contained four bluish- 
white eggs. The nest and eggs are very similar to our C. fristis. 
After leaving Los Angeles, I proceeded by stages along the 
route of the Southern Pacific railroad, and with a short time to 
spare at different stations, found some nice things before reaching _ 
Tucson, A. T. At Colton, Cal., I first found the nest of that 
diminutive little bird, the least bush titmouse (Psaltriparus mint- 
mus). An inhabitant of the Pacific coast country, it does not 
penetrate east of the mountains, but west of them is abundant the 
whole length of the coast. A small and plainly colored little 
bird, its habits confine it to the bushes, and it is not easily seen or 
distinguished. The first nest I found was suspended from the 
branches of a greasewood bush, and I at once recognized it, but 
thought it deserted, it looked so old. Tearing it open, however, 
I found it contained six small pure white eggs, partly incubated. 
Regretting my haste in spoiling the nest, I pursued my hunt, and 
was shortly rewarded by finding another nest suspended from the 
branches of an elder bush. I frightened the bird from the nest 
