42 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



Lophophanes inornatus, Gajibel. 



THE PLAIN-CEESTED TITMOUSE. 



Panis i}iornalus, Gamui-.i., Pr. A. N. Sc. Pliila. II. Aii<;. 1845, 265. (Upper California.) Ib. 

 III. Feb. 1817, 1854. In. Jour. Ac. N. Sc. I'liila. 2fl Scries, I. Dec. 1847, 35; pi. viii.— . 

 Lophophniies innnialus, C\SSiy, 111. I. 1853, 19. — B.UED, P.R. Rep. IX. Birds, 386. — 

 Heeiim.vxn, X. vi. 42. 



Sp. Cii.vr. Crost flongatcrl. Color aT)Ovo olivaceous-afliy, bcnoatli whitisli. Sides of 

 bod}' and under tail coverts very faintly tinged with brownisli, scarecly appreciable. Sides 



of head scaroely different from the orown. Forehead obscurely wliitish. Length, 5.60 ; 

 extent, 9; wing, 2.75. Iris brown; lull black; feet blue. 



Ilalj. Coast of California and southern Rocky Mountains. (Fort Thorn, New ^Mexico.) 



I found a few of this S2:)ecies in Felimaiy, near San Diego, l)ut none along 

 the Colorado. It prefers the evergreen oak-groves towards the middle of the 

 State, but I have not seen them in the higher SieiTa Nevada. They are 

 constant residents near San Francisco, like most of the birds inhabiting 

 the live-oaks, being among the few that brave the fog and winds about San 

 Francisco Bay all the year. 



Tliey are generally seen in small parties, scattered aljout the trees, and 

 freipiently calling each other A\'itli a variety of rather sweet and loud notes, 

 among which the cMclc-a-dcc-clce of its relatives, the Pari, is frequent. Some 

 of its notes are almost equal to those of some of our best singers, and, indeed, 

 like the Eastern representative of the genus L. cristatus, it probably has some 

 power of imitation, and has the call of jxto-jjeto, whicli has given one of its 

 names to that species. 



This bird feeds on seeds and acorns as well as insects, and often comes 

 down to the ground, hopping about like a sparrow in search of them. It 

 cracks the acorns with its bill, and hanmiers at bark and decayed wood after 

 insects, with the industry of a woodpecker. 



Their nest is ]irobal)ly in the deserted hole of a woodpecker, or other 

 cavity, but I have never succeeded in finding the eggs. The Eastern species 

 is said to dig a hole for itself at times, and to line it with various warm ma- 



