PASSERES — PARIDjE PARUS. 59 



FAMILY PARIDsE. 



Bill short, straight, robust. Upper mandible slightly curved above, waved on its edges : 

 notches obsolete. Nostrils basal, rounded, concealed by incumbent feather s . Tarsus ivith 

 eight, distinct scutellce : three anterior toes united as far as the second joint. Wings mo- 

 derate ; the third, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tongue truncated at tip, ending in 

 four bristles. Plumage long and full. Tail long, of twelve narrow feathers. 



Obs. This group, which in Bonaparte's arrangement forms a subdivision of his great family 

 Turdid^, including Regultjs, we think is entitled to form a separate family by itself, in- 

 cluding as yet but one genus from which it takes its name. 



GENUS PARUS. Linn^us. 



Bill stout, short, compressed, entire, with bristles at the base. Upper mandible longest, 

 rounded above. Nail of the hind toe strongest and most curved. Other characters of the 

 family as noted above. 



Obs. This genus, as at present restricted, comprises six American species, 



THE CRESTED TIT. 



Parus bicolor. 



plate xlv. fig. 101. 



(STATE COLLECTION. Male and Female.) 



Parus bicolor. Lixkjevs, Syst. Nat. 12 ed. p. 340. 



The Crested Titmouse. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 137, pi. 8. fig. 5. Audubon, folio, pi. 39; Orn. Biof. 



Vol. l,p. 199, and Vol. 5, p. 472. 

 The Tufted Titmouse. Ncttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 236, figure. 

 The Crested Titmouse. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 2, p. 143, pi. 125. 

 The Crested Titmouse, P. bicolor. Gibaud, Birds of Long island, p. 78. 



Characteristics. Crested. Leaden blue above ; beneath whitish ; flanks tinged with dull 

 yellowish brown. Length, six and a half inches. 



Description. Bill very robust, obtusely elevated above, slightly bent at the tip. The 

 third and fourth quills subequal, longest. Crest high and pointed. Tarsus rather longer 

 than the middle toe. Tail even, slightly emarginate. 



Color. Upper parts plumbeous. Frontlet, bill and shoulder black. Space before the 

 eyes grey. Feet leaden blue. Beneath greyish ; the sides light yellowish tinged with red. 

 Female : The rump reddish ; space before the eyes drab. 



Length, 6" 0-6-5. 



This lively and noisy bird appears in the southern counties of our State about the first of 



8 # 



