268 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES — OSCTNES. 



age, or season (excepting Auriparus). There may be about 75 good species of Farina; as 

 thus restricted, most of them falling in the genus Parus, or its immediate neighborhood. With 

 few exceptions they are birds of the Northern Hemisphere, abounding in Europe, Asia, and 

 North America. The larger proporticni of the genera and species inhabit the Old World. All 

 those of the New World occur within our limits. 



A7ialysis of Genera. 



Crested. 



Wings and tail rounded, of about equal lengths. No red or yeUow Lophophanes 



Not crested. 



Wings and tail rounded, of about equal lengths. No red or yellow Parus 



Wings rounded, shorter than the graduated tail. No red or yellow Psaltri parus 



Wings pointed, longer than the even tail. Head yellow ; bend of wing red Auriparus 



LOPHOPH'ANES. (Gr. Xo'c^o?, lophos, a crest ; (\>alv(a, phaino, I appear.) Crested Tit- 

 mice. Head crested. Wings and tail rounded, of about equal lengths. Bill conoid-com- 

 pressed, with upper and under outlines both convex. No yellow on head or red on wing. 

 Plumage lax, much the same in both sexes at all ages and seasons. Average size of the 

 species at a maximum for Farina;. Nests excavated in trees ; eggs spotted (except in L. 

 wollweheri). 



Obs. This genus is reduced to a subgenus of Parus by the A. O. U. But it is quite a good genus, as genera go now- 

 adays, and I need not disturb the position it has held in the Key since 1872 — in fact, among most American writers since 

 1858. The user of the Key has only to read " P." for L. in the following paragraphs if he wishes to be perfectly ortho- 

 dox on the subject of Parus (Lophophanes). 



Analysis of Species. 



Frontlet black ; sides washed with rusty. Eastern bicolor 



Crest like rest of upper parts ; no rusty on sides. Southwestern inornatus 



Crest entirely black ; rusty on sides. Texan atricristatus 



Head with several black stripes ; no rusty on sides. Southwestern ivoUxceheri 



L. bi'color. (Lat. fcis, twice ; coZor, color. Fig. 128.) Tufted Titmouse. Peto. c^ 9 , 

 adult : Entire upper parts ashy ; back usually with a slight oli- 

 vaceous shade ;. wings and tail rather purer and darker plumbe- 

 ous, the latter sometimes showing obsolete transverse bars. 

 Sides of head and entire under parts dull whitish, washed with 

 chestnut-brown on sides. A black frontlet at base of crest. 

 Bill plumbeous-blackish ; feet plumbeous. Length 6.00-6.50 ; 

 extent 9.75-10.75; wing and tail 3.00-3.25; bill 0.40; tarsus 

 0.80; middle toe and claw 0.75. 9 smaller than $. Young: 

 Crest less developed; little if any trace of black trontlet; sides 

 scarcely washed with rusty. Eastern U. S., rather southerly; 

 scarcely N. to New England; resident, abundant in woodland 

 and shrubbery. It is a hardy, sprightly bird, fond of reiterat- 

 ing its loud ringing " peto, peto." Nest in holes; eggs 6 or 8, 

 nat. si!r (Ad.'mt™.'^E^cT"'^' **•''•"' ^ ^•^^' ^^■'''^*'' ''""^*^ ^'^^ reddish-brown and lilac. 

 L. b. texen'sis. (Lat., of Texas.) Texan Tufted Titmouse. Paler than the last, with 

 chestnut instead of black frontlet at base of crest ; this chestnut corresponding in tint to that 

 which suffuses sides of body. Tarsus 0.85 ; bill 0.45. Southeastern Texas. Parus hicolor tex- 

 ensis Sexn., Auk, Jan. 1887, p. 29; Ridgw., Man., 1887, p. 561 ; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed., 1895, 

 p. 306, No. 731 a. Lophophanes bicolor texensis Coues, Key, 3d ed., 1887, p. 866; 4th ed., 

 1890, p. 897. 



li. inorna'tus. (Lat. in, as signifying negation, and ornatus, adorned ; orno, I ornament.) 

 Plain Titmouse. Toppy. ^ 9) adult: Entire upper parts dull leaden-gray, with a slight 



