DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME NEW NORTH AMERICAN 



BIRDS. 



BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 



Read February 23, 1884, and published by permission of the Director of the U. S. 

 National Museum. 



1. Parus atricapillus turner!, new subspecies. 



SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Similar to P atricapillus septentrio- 

 na/is, but still lighter in color, the gray of the upper parts very 

 slightly, or not at all, tinged with brownish, the sides and flanks with 

 little or no buff tinge. 



$ : Wing, 2.70; tail, 2.65-2.90; tarsus, .65-. 70. 9: Wing, 

 2.55; tail, 2.55. Hab. Alaska. 



Type, No. 70,826, (in collection, U. S. National Museum,) St. 

 Michael's, Alaska, May i, 1876; L. M. Turner. 



2. Psaltriparus minimus californicus, new subspecies 



SuBSPECiFit CHARACTERS. Differing from true P. minimus in 

 much lighter colors, especially on the lower parts, which are very 

 pale brownish gray, or soiled brownish white, only slightly tinged 

 purplish brown on the flanks. Hab. California, except northern 

 coast district. 



In "Birds of North America," (page 397), Professor Baird re 

 marks th^t " there is quite an appreciable difference between speci-, 

 mens of this species from Washington Territory and California ; 

 the latter are smaller, the under parts paler." He did not separate 

 them, however, the scant material at his command evidently not 

 warranting such a procedure. With numerous additional specimens, 

 the differences are none the less striking, and, in my opinion, 

 fully sufficient to justify their separation as well-defined geographi 

 cal races. 



It may be remarked that specimens from Marin County, just north 

 of the Bay of San Francisco, are dark colored above like typical 



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