262 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



Obs. According to Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Club, vi, 1881, p. 101, the two foregoing are adult (No. 37) and young 

 (Ko. 38) of the same species, which \splumbea, Bd., Pr. Phila. Acad., 1854, p. 118; B.N. A., 1858, p. 382, and authors: 

 melanura, Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y., vi, 1856, p. 168, but not of authors referring to the Californian bird : also, ati-i- 

 capilla, Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y., v, 1851, p. 124; Cass., 111., 1854, pi. 27, but not of Swainson. Brewster describes 

 the Californian bird as a new species, as follows: — P. califorxica. California Blacl-capped Gnat-catcher. 

 (J : As compared with P. plumbea, upper parts decidedly plumbeous instead of bluish ; throat, breast, and sides dull 

 ashy instead of ashy-white ; lower belly and crissum fulvous or even pale chestnut ; light edging of the tail-feathers 

 confined to outer pair, with sometimes slight tipping of next pair (as in ray fig. 1:54, c.) ; lining of wings pearly-ash, 

 not white ; secondaries and tertials edged with light brown. No pure white anywhere ; general aspect of under 

 parts nearly as dark as those of a cat-bird. Whole crown glossy black. Length 4.50 ; extent 6.10: wing 1.84; tail 

 1.80; tarsus 0.73; bill 0.50. $: Similar, but no black on crown; belly and crissum pale chestnut; outer webs of 

 second pair of rectrices edged with white. California ; being the melanura of authors referring to California birds, 

 but not of Lawr., 1856. 



2. Family CHAM^ID^: : Wren-tits. 



Recently framed for a single species, much like a titmouse in general appearance, but 

 with the tarsus not evidently scutellate in front ; rounded wings much shorter than the gradu- 

 ated tail ; lores bristly, and plumage extraordinarily soft and lax. With the general habits of 

 A\Tens, with which the species was formerly associated. The position and valuation of the 

 group are stiU uncertain; probably to be determined upon anatomical characters. I have 

 little doubt that Chamtea will yet be found referable to some other recognized family of birds, 

 and suspect that it might be assigned to the Old World Timeliidce, with at least as much 

 projmety as some other American groups, which have lately been relegated to that ill-assorted 

 assemblage. 



12. CHA3I-^'A. (Gr. x«M«'7 chamai, on the ground.) Wren-tits. Form and general aspect 

 combining features of wrens and titmice. Plumage extraordinarily lax, soft, and full. Color- 

 ation simple. Tarsal scuteUa obsolete, or faintly indicated, at least outside. Toes coherent at 

 base for about half the length of the proximal joint of the middle one. Soles widened and 

 padded, much as in Paridce. Primaries 10, the 6th longest, the 3d equal to the longest sec- 

 ondaries, the 1st about three-fifths as long as the longest ; wing thus extremely rounded, and 

 much shorter than the tail (about two-thirds as long). Tall very long, constituting more 

 than half the entire length of the bird, extremely graduated, with soft, nan-ow feathers, widen- 

 ing somewhat toward their tips, rounded at the end, the lateral pair not two-thirds as long as 

 the middle. Bill much shorter than head, very deep at the base, straight, stout, compressed- 

 conical, not notched, with ridged and very convex culmen, but nearly sti-aight commissure 

 and gonys; naked, scaled, linear nostrils, and strongly bristled gape. Frontal feathers reaching 

 nasal fossae, but no ruflF concealing the nostrils as in Paridce. 

 39. C. fascia'ta. (Lat. fasciata, striped ; faseis, a bundle of faggots.) Wren-tit. Adult : 

 Dark brown with an olive shade, the top of the head clearer and somewhat streaky, the wings 

 and tail purer brown, obscurely fasciated with numerous cross-bars; below, duU cinnamon- 

 brown, paler on belly, shaded with olive-brown on the sides and crissum, the throat and 

 breast obscurely streaked \\nth dusky ; bill and feet brown ; iris white. Length about 6.00 ; 

 wing 2.25-2.50; tail 3.25-3.50, much graduated, the lateral feathers being an inch or more 

 shorter than the middle ones; bill 0.40; tarsus 0.90-1.00; middle toe and claw 0.75. First 

 primary nearly an inch shorter than the longest one. California coast region. A remarkable 

 bird, reseinliling no other, common in shrubbery ; nest in bushes ; eggs plain greenish-blue, 

 0.70 X 0.52. 



39a. C. f . hen'shawi. (To H. W. Henshaw.) Henshaw's Wren-tit. Much lighter and duller 

 colored ; above, grayish-ash with slight olive shade (about the color of a Lophophanes) ; below, 

 scarcely rufescent upon a soiled whitish ground, shaded on the sides with the color of the back ; 

 bill and feet smaller. Interior of California, and probably adjoining regions ; seems to be 

 a well-marked fonn. (Not in the Check List, 1882 ; see Ridgway, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v., 

 1882, p. 13.) 



