396 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Java, in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy, shows that the bill in the last mentioned 

 genus is much shorter, deeper, and with the vertical outlines more curved. The wings are 

 longer, being nearly equal to the tail. The hind toe is a little longer than the middle anterior 

 one, not shorter ; the outer lateral claw reaches to the middle of the central one instead of only 

 to its base. The legs are yellow instead of black. P. exilis is much smaller than any American 

 titmice, measuring but little over three inches. The American species of Psaltriparus are, 

 however, the smallest of our Parinae. 

 The species may be arranged as follows : 



a. Head striped with black on the sides. 

 The stripes passing under the eye and uniting on the occiput P. melanotis. 



h. No stripes on the head. 



Back ashy ; crown light brown P. minimus. 



Back and crown uniform ashy :.P. plumbeus. 



The first mentioned species differs in longer and more compressed bill from the others, and 

 may stand alone in the genus, and the others be referred to Psaltria or elsewhere. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



PSALTRIPAKUS MELANOTIS, B o n a p . 



Black-cheeked Tit. 



Parxis melanotus, Sandbach, Pr. Brit. Ass. VI, 1837, (1838,) 99, (only named.)— P. melanotis, Hartlaub, Rev. 



Zool. 1844, 216. 

 Poecila melanotis, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, 230. 

 .iegilhaliscus melanotis. Cab. Mus. Ilein. 1850-1, 90. 



Psaltria melanotis, Westermann, Bijdragen tot de Dierkundo, 1851. — Cassin, 111. I, 1853, 20. 

 Psaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. Comptes Rendus, XXXIII, 1854. 

 Psaltrijiarus personalus, Bp. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, Sept. 1850, 478. 

 Psaltria personata, Westermann, Bijdragen tot do Dierkundo i, 1851, IG; plate. 



Sp. Cii. — A black patch on each cheek nearly meeting behind. Crown and edges of tlio wing and tail ash gray ; rest of 

 upper parts yellowish brown, lighter on the rump. Beneath whitisli ; anal region tinged with yellowish brown. Length 

 about 4 inches ; wing, 1 .90 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hab. — Eastern Mexico to the Rio Grande . 



In this species the bill is moderately long and considerably compressed ; the culmen straight 

 at the base, tlien rapidly curving to the tip which slightly overhangs tlie lower jaws; the gony 

 also is decidedly curve<l, less so than the culmen. The tarsus is much longer than the middle 

 toe ; the outer lateral toe rather the longer, and reaching the base of tlie middle claw ; tlie hind 



