BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 379 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF PARID.E. 



a. Kxponed culmen equal to or longer than inner toe without claw; basal phalanx 

 of middle toe adherent for entire length to inner toe, for about lialf its length 

 to outer toe; tarsus much less than twice as long as middle toe without claw. 

 h. Bill with either the culnien or gonys (usually both) distinctly convex, its tip 

 not acute; ninth primary shorter than tliird, not more than twice as long as 

 tenth; rictal bristles distinct. (Sul)family ParinH'.") 

 c. Head crested. 



d. Bill slender, its dej)th at base eipial to not more than half its length; tail 

 emarginate; longer feathers of crest recurved terminally. 



Lophophanes (extralimital) ^ 



dd. Bill very stout, its depth at base equal to more than half the length of 



exposed culmen; tail more or less rounded; longer feathers of crest not 



recurved terminally Bseolophus ( p. 380) 



cc. Head without crest. 



d. Antrorse latero-frontal plumules shorter, only partially covering nostrils; 

 outer side of planta tarsi divided in middle; larger (wing more than 70 

 mm.); a glossy blue-black band across side of neck connecting the simi- 

 larly colored vertical and gular areas; under parts olive-yellow with 

 black median stripe; wings and tail dull blue, the former with a yellow- 

 ish band. (PaUearctic. ) Parus (extralimital) c 



dd. Antrorse latero-frontal plumules longer, forming a distinct tuft completely 

 covering and overreaching nostrils; outer side of jilanta tarsi not divided 

 in middle; smaller (wing usually nmch less than 70 mm.); no black 

 band across side of neck, but black or brown vertical and gular areas 

 separated by a broad space of white or gray; under parts white medially, 

 gray, brown, buffy, or rufescent laterally; wings and tail dusky, with 

 gray or whitish edgings, the former without light-colored band. (Cir- 



cumpolar. ) Penthestes (p. 39-4) 



hh. Bill with both culmen and gonys nearly straight, its tip acute; ninth primary 

 not shorter than foiirth, more than twice as long as tenth; rictal bristles obso- 

 lete. {Suhiaim\y Ronizina'Jl) Auriparus (p. 419) 



aa. Exposed culmen much shorter than inner toe, without claw; basal phalanx 

 of middle toe adherent for decidedly less than its entire length to inner toe, 

 but for its entire length to outer toe; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe 

 without claw. (Subfamily Psaltriparinse. ^) .Psaltriparus (p. 423) 



a See p. 377. 



b Lophophane>i Kaup, Entw. (Jesch. Eur. Thierwelt, 1829, 92. (Type, Parus cris- 

 lafus Linnteus.) 



'^ Parus Linna?us, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, 189. (Type, by elimination, P. umjor 

 Linnseus. ) I shall not here include other Pahearctic groups {Ci/a)ii'<tcs Kaup, type 

 Parus cyaneus; I'eriparus Selys-Longchamps, type P. aier; Sittiparus Selys-Long- 

 champs, type P. larius, etc.). 



^ See p. 377. «See p. 378. 



