202 NORTH AMERICAX BIRD?;. 



of bread. They migrate but little, remaining at the Columbia liiver even 

 when the ground is covered with snow. The eggs are as yet unkncjwn, but 

 ■without doubt they closely resemble those of the Eastern species. 



Parus carolinensis, Aidubon. 



SOUIHEBN CHICEASES. 



Parus carol iiten-tis, Arn. Orn. Biug. II, 1834, 474, jil. clx. — Ib. Birds Am. II, 1841, 15*2, 

 pi. cxxrii. — B.\ii!r>, Biids N. Am. 1858, 392 ; Review, 81. — Scl.vtek, Catal. 1861, 

 13, no. 81. I'axilc carolinensiti, Bos. Consp. 1850, 230. 



Sp. Char. Second quill appreciably longer than secondaries. Tail very little rnnnded. 

 Length about 4.50 inches ; wing less than 2.50 ; tail, 2.40. Back brownish-ash. Head 

 above, and throat, black, separated on sides of head by white. Beneath white ; brownish- 

 white on sides. Outer tail-feathers, jirimaries, and secondaries, not edged with white. 



Hab. South Atlantic and gulf region of United States, north to Washington, D. C. 

 Texas and the Mississippi Valley ; north to Central Illinois ; the only species in the 

 southern portion of the latter State. 



This species is, in general, rather smaller than P. atricapillus, although 

 the tail and wing appear to be of much the same size. The body and leet 

 are, iiowever, smaller, and the extent of wing is three quarters of an inch 

 less. The bill is apparently shorter and stouter. 



The j)rimaries are proportionally and absolutely considerably longer than 

 the secondaries in the present species, the diflerence being .5.5 of an inch, 

 instead of .45. The tail is rather more rounded, the feathers narrower. 



The tail is considerably shorter than the wing, instead of longer ; the 

 black of the throat extends much farther back, is more dense and more 

 sharply defined behind, than in atj-icajnlhis. Taking into view these dif- 

 ferences, and others of color, we feel justified in retaining this as ti species 

 distinct from atrkccpiUus, and, in fact, having huridionalis as its nearest 

 relatix'e (see Synoptical Table). Both this species and atricajnllics are found 

 together in the Middle States, each preserving its characteristics. 



Habits. South of the once ftimous line of Mason and Dixon this smaller 

 counter[iart of tlie Chickadee seems to entirely rei)lace it, although in New 

 Jersey and Pennsylvania, and occasionally even as far to the north as New 

 York City, the two occur together. Its range is presumed to be all the 

 States south of the Potomac and the Ohio, as far to the west as the Pdo 

 Grande. It was probably this species, and not the atricapillus, whicli was 

 met with by Dr. Woodhouse in the Indian Territory. Without m\i(h doubt 

 it breeds in all the States south of Pennsylvania. 



In Southern Illinois, as far north in the Wabash Valley as the mouth of 

 White Eiver, this is the only species, unless the P. atrkupillus occasionally 

 occurs in winter. Specimens from this region are iindistinguishable from 

 those taken in Georgia and the extreme Southern States, and do not present 

 the peculiar features of /'. atrieapillus. It is a very aljtmilant species. 



