PARID^ PSALTRIPARUS PLUMBEUS, SITTIDiE. 23 



PSALTRIPARUS PLUMBEUS, Bd. 



Leaden Titmouse* 



Psaltria phnnlea, Bd., Pr. Pbila. Acad, vii, 1854, 118 (Colorado Chiquito, Ariz.). 



Psaltrlpurm phonbetis, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 398 ; Rev. 1864, 79.— Kexx., P. R. R. Rep. x, 

 1859, pt. iv, 25, pi. 33, f. 2.— CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 186(5, 79.— Coop., B. Cal. i, 

 1870, 49.— Stev., U. S. Geol. Snrv. Ter. 1870, 464 (Greeu River).— Aiken, Pr. 

 Bost. Soc. 1872, 195 (Easteru Colorado). — Coues, Key, 1872, 82. 



Hah.— Southern Rocky Mouutaiu region. 

 Not obtaiued by tbe earlier Expeditions. 

 Later Expeditions. — Greeu River {Stevenson). 



The distinctive characters of this species are not strong, and it would 

 not be surprising if it should prove only a geographical race of the Pa- 

 cific coast species, P. minimus. 



According to Mr. Aiken, small flocks of the Leaden Titmouse were 

 occasionally seen during the winter in the foot-hills of Eastern Colorado, 

 among shrubbery. This, with Mr. Steveucou's record, considerably ex- 

 tends its known range, hitherto confined to Arizona. In that country I 

 found it abundant. Mr. Aiken is, I think, mistaken in stating that the 

 iris of the male is brown, and that of the female yellow ; this dift'ereuce 

 being entirely fortuitous, independent of sex or age, and perhaps anal- 

 ogous to the diverse coloration of the bill in many species of Jays ; at 

 least such was my conclusion after examining many specimens. It is 

 a resident of the mountains of Arizona, where it braves the rigors of 

 winter without apparent inconvenience, though one is tempted to won- 

 der how such a tiny body, no larger than the end of one's thumb, can 

 retain its animal heat during exposure to cold that sometimes destroys 

 large birds like the raven. It is a sociable little creature, generally 

 going in companies of from half a dozen to fifty, actively engaged in 

 their search for minute insects, and continually- calling to each other 

 with their curiously squeaky notes. It scarcely knows fear in the pres- 

 ence of man, and will continue its busy search though an observer may 

 be standing within a few feet of it. I found it oftenest in the slirubbery 

 of the hillsides and the dense undergrowth which fills the ravines ; it 

 ai)peared to have little fancy for the higher growths of oak or pine. It 

 is surprising what large insects this little creature will sometimes cap- 

 ture; I saw one struggling with a caterpillar nearly as long as its own 

 body, and it succeeded, after great exertion, in disposing of the big 

 mouthful. The nest and eggs I have never seen, nor am I aware that 

 they have been discovered; but it is to be presumed that they do not 

 dili'er essentially from those of P. minimus. This bird builds an aston- 

 ishingly large nest for such a wee creature — a long purse woven of soft 

 tree-moss and lichens, some six or eight inches long, suspended by the 

 contracted brim from a forked twig. The eggs, six or eight in number, 

 measure about 0.58 by 0.44, and differ from those of the genus Farus iu 

 being pure white, Mithout any markings. 



Family 8ITTID/E : Nuthatches. 



SITTA OAROLINENSIS, Lath. 



Wliitc-bcllied Niitliatcli. 



Silta europaa var. carolinensis, G.m., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 440. 



Sitta carolinensis, Lath,, Ind. Orn. i, 1790, 262.— Wils., Am. Orn. i, 1808, 10, pi. 2, f. 3.— 

 Bl'., .loiuii. Pbila. Acad. 18-i5. p. — ; Syii. 162«, 96; List, 1838, 10; Consp. i, 1850, 

 227.~Nurr., Man. i, 1832, o81.— AuD., Orn. Biog. ii, 1834, 299; v,'1839, 473; pi. 



