(IQ NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



spring. The eggs of this bird have a length of .75 of an inch and a breadth 

 of .56. TJiey are of a rounded oval in shape, and are thickly sprinkled 

 with fine rust-colored dots, intermingled with a few larger markings of lilac, 

 on a white gronnd. 



Lophophanes atricristatus, Cassix. 



BLACK-TUFTED TITMOUSE; TEXAS TITMOUSE. 



Panis atrwrishdns, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. Pliil. V, ISoO, 103, ]il. ii (Ti'xas). Lnplwplumcs 

 (Uricristtdus, Cassin, 111. Birds Texas, etc. I, 1853, 13, pi. iii. — Baihd, Birds N. Am. 

 1858, 385 ; Review, 78. — CooPEU, Birds Cal. I, 43. 



Sp. OnAR. Crest very long and pointed (1.2.5 inches). Above a.«h-colored. A broad 

 band on the forehead dirty white, rest of head above, with crest, l)lack, tinged with ash 

 on the sides. Color of the back shading insensilily into the didl a-sliy-whitc; of tlie under 

 parts. Sides of body pale brownish-clicstnnt. Female with the crest duller black. Iris 

 dark brown. Length, about .5.25 inches ; wing, 3.00. 



HaI!. Valley of Rio Grande, south, into Mexico. San Antonio. Texas. Vera Cruz, 

 Sclater. 



This .species is not rare in Texas, where it has been noticed as far east as 

 San Antonio. 



Habits. So far as known, the Black-crested Titmouse is restricted in its 

 distribution to tlie valley of the Ilio (irandt;, including portions of Mexico 

 and Western Texas. It was first met with in the latter State by John W. 

 Audulion, and described by Mr. Cassin in tlie Troceedings of the Pliiludeljiliia 

 Academy. 



In its general appearance and in all its habits it is mentioned as having 

 so close a resemblance to the common Tufted Titmou.se as to be hardly dis- 

 tinguishable from that bird. Dr. AVoodliouse met with this species near San 

 Antonio, Texas, in March, 1851. While his party was encamped on the Ilio 

 Salado he observed these birds busily engaged in capturing insects among 

 the trees on the banks of the stream. Like all the members of this family, 

 it was incessantly in motion and very noisy. Later in the season, on the 

 8th of May, the same party, wlien encamped on the Quihi, again found this 

 species very aliundant among the oaks. The young males, then fidly grown, 

 closely resembled the adult females, both wanting the black crest that dis- 

 tinguishes the mature male. He afterward noticed this species occurring at 

 intervals along his route as fai- as the liead waters of the Eio San Francisco 

 in New Mexico. He observed it almost exclu.sively among the trees that 

 bordered streams of water. The females and tlie young males invariably liad 

 crests of the same cinereous color as their general plumage, but in the latter 

 slightly tinged with brown. They occurred in small parties, were ^•ery lively 

 and sociable in their habits, and in their general appearance and even in 

 their notes so very closely resembled the Eastern species as, at a short dis- 

 tance, to be hardly distinguishable from it. 



