PSALTRIPARUS — AURIPARUS. 



85 



(6,774.) Iris yellow. (6,777.) Iris black. (33,003.) Iris black. 



AURIPARUS, Baird. 

 Auriparus, Baikd, n. g. (Type ^yithalus flaviceps, Sund.) 



In the " Birds of North America," p. 399, while defining the generic 

 characters of Paroides, I showed that the ^githalus Jiaviceps, of 

 Sundevall, differed very materially from the P. j^^nduUnus, the type 

 of the genus. The discrepancy, in fact, is too great to permit the 

 two species to be associated, and I have consequently been obliged 

 to establish a new generic name. The peculiarities authorizing this 

 course will be found detailed in the work cited above. They con- 

 sist, as compared with other American forms, in the long pointed 

 quills, and the very small claws ; the tarsi are much shorter than 

 in Psaltriparus. 



The single known species of the genus builds a covered nest of 

 stiff, short pieces of grass, with a hole in the side, in bushes. The 

 eggs are spotted, as in the Black-headed Titmice, not white, as in 

 Psaltriparus minimus. 



Auriparus flaviceps. 



jEgithalus flaviceps, Sundevall, Ofversigt af Vet. Ak. Forb. YII, v, 

 1850, 129.— Fsaltria flaviceps, Scl. P. Z. S. XXIV, March, 1856, 37. 

 — Psaltriparus flaviceps, Scl. Catal. Am. Birds, 1861, 13, no. 79. — 



Paroides flaviceps, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 400, pi. , fig. 2. 



Auriparus flaviceps, Baird. 



Conirostrum ornatum, Lawrexce, Ann. N. Y. Lye. May, 1851, 113, pi. v, 

 fig. 1 (Texas). 



Eah. Valleys of tlie Rio Grande and Colorado : Cape St. Lucas. 



This interesting species appears confined to the basins of the Rio 

 Grande and Gila, extending to Cape St. Lucas, where it is very 

 abundant. An immense number of its curiously shaped nests were 

 collected by Mr. Xantus. Cape St. Lucas specimens of this, as 

 of the other species, are much smaller than those from the more 

 northern localities : thus, in No. 12,967, %, the wing measures L90, 



