LONG-TAILED iMUFFLIN. 461 



a longitudinal patch on the head, the outer edges of the secon- 

 dary quills, the outer webs of the three lateral tail-feathers and 

 a portion of the inner webs of the two outer, white ; the other 

 parts brownish-black, excepting the abdomen and lower tail- 

 coverts which are brownish-red. The bill and feet are at first 

 flesh-coloured, and gradually darken. 



Progress toward Maturity. — In their second plumage the 

 young differ little from the old birds. The head and neck 

 however have the white obscured by dusky streaks, of which 

 there is one on each feather; the fore part of the neck is greyish- 

 white, with small faint brown spots; the rest of the lower parts 

 reddish-white, the lower tail-coverts brownish-red ; the hind- 

 neck and back as in the adult, as are the wings and tail. The 

 members of the family generally keep together during winter 

 and spring. 



Remarks. — In revising the above, I find, on referring to M. 

 Valmont-Bomare's Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, the fol- 

 lowing illustration of the fable of the nest with two holes : 

 — " Elle fait son nid a trois ou quatre pieds de terre, Tattache 

 aux branches dans leur enfourchement, et le construit de telle 

 maniere que Touvrage en entier ressemble a un ceuf place sur 

 une de ses pointes ; il y a une et quelquefois deux ouvertures 

 laterales, opposees Tune a Tautre, pour sortir et rentrer." 



Parus minimus of Townsend, the " Chestnut-crowned Tit- 

 mouse," found in the Columbia River district, belongs to this 

 genus, and may be named Mecishira minima. Parus rufescens 

 of the same naturalist approaches nearly to it, as does Parus 

 hudsonicus. 



