46 SrNClIXr, BIRDS— OSCINES. 



I have not met with this species in the southern lialJ' ol' Calitbrni;i, but it 

 doubtless visits the northern jjart towards tlie coast in winter at least, as it 

 is abundant near the Columbia l\iver. There it is generally found among 

 the deciduous trees along streams and oak-groves, busily seeking food among 

 the leaves and branches, frequently uttering its lively call of chickadce-dcc- 

 dce, and a variety of other notes, many of them quite tender and musical. 

 It feeds on insects and seeds, and is very fond of fresh meat, fat, and crumbs 

 of bread. They migrate but little, remaining, even A\heii the ground is 

 covered with snow, at the Columbia. 



Their nest is made m a hole burrowed near the top of a dead tree in rot- 

 ten wood, and their eggs, still undescribed, probably resemble those of the 

 Eastern species, which lays from six to twelve, w:hite witli brown specks. 

 (Nuttall.) 



Parus montanus, Gambel. 



THE MOUNTAIN TITMOUSE. 



Purus moiituHus, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. I. April, 1843, 259. (Santa Fe.) Ib. Pr. A. N. Sc. 

 III. Feb. 1S47, 155. Ib. Jour. A. N. Sc. 2(1 Series, I. Dec. 1847, 35; pi. viii. f. 1.— 

 Cassin, Ulust. I. 1853, 18. — Baird, P. R. Rep. IX. 394; Rev. 82. — Neweeert, VI. 

 iv. 79. — Heekmanx, X. vi. 42. — Cooper and Scckley, XII. iii. 194. 



Sp. Cii.^it. Head and neck above, with inider part of head and throat, glossy black ; 

 forehead, line above the eye and one below it, involving the auriculars, white. These 

 stripes embracing between them a black line through the eye and confluent with the black 



of the head. Above, ashy: l)eneath similar, but paler; the u]iper part of bi-east, and mid- 

 dle line of belly, white. Length, about 5.20; extent, 8.00; wing, 2.70; tail, 2.50. Lis 

 brown ; bill black ; feet lead-color. 



Ilab. Eocky ]\lijuntains, to Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range. 



This seems to l)e the common species of the Sierra NeA'ada, esjjeciaUy on 

 their east slope, and I have .shot one, proliably of this sjjecies, near San 

 Diego, in Februaiy, but the specimen was destroyed by a cat. Its habits, as 

 far as kno^^^l, are exactly like those of F. occidentalis. 



