PAIUD^ — PARING: TITMICE. 265 



L. atrocristsi'tus. (Lat. «<ro, with black, cmto^H.s, crested; cm to, a crest.) Black-crested 

 Titmouse. $ 9 ? adult: Plumbeous, with a shade of olive, the wings aud tail rather darker 

 and purer, edged with the color of the back, or a more hoary shade of the same. Beneath, dull 

 ashy-wliitish, especially on the breast, the abdomen whiter, the sides chestnut-brown as in L. 

 bicolor. Extreme forehead and lores whitish ; entire crest glossy black. Bill blackish-plum- 

 beous; feet plumbeous. Small: length about 5.00; wing and tail 2.75. Valley of the liio 

 Grande. Nest in natural cavities of trees, usually including cast snake-skins among its materi- 

 als : eggs 0.75 X 0.58. white, spotted with reddish-brown in line dots over the general surface, 

 boldly blotclied at large end, but not distinguishable from those of L. bicolor. 

 L. woUweb'eri. (To one Wollweber. Fig. 137-) Bridled Titmouse. ^ 9, adult: 

 Upper parts olivaceous-ash, wings aud tail darker, edged with the color of the back, or even a 

 brighter tint, sometimes nearly as yellowish as in Begulus. Under 

 parts sordid ashy- white. Crest black, with a central field like the 

 back. Whole throat black, as in species of Parus. A black line 

 runs behind the eye and curves down over the auriculars, distin- 

 guished from the black of the crest and throat by the white of "^^^^^ -^1^^!^ 

 the side of the head and white superciliary stripe; a half-collar at ^^^ ^/'"^ 



of black on the nape, descending on the sides of the neck, there ^ ^^^ ^ 



separated from the black crescent of the auriculars by a white cres- - ^-^^» 

 cent, which latter is continuous with the white of the superciliary 



line ; considerable whitish speckling in the black of the forehead iq- _ b •■ n i T"t 



and lores. Bill blackish-plumbeous ; feet plumbeous. Smallest : mouse, nat. size. (Mex. B. 

 length 5.00 or less ; wing or tail 2.40-2.65 ; bill 0.33 ; tarsus 0.60- Survey.) 

 0.70. Young : Chin narrowly or imperfectly black, and some of the above described head- 

 m;irkings obscure or incomplete. The singularly variegated markings of the head of this 

 species at once distinguish it. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, abundant, going 

 in troops, in woods aud shrubbery. 



PA'RUS. (Lat. j9ants, a titmouse.) Typical Titmice. Chickadees. Head not crested. 

 Wings and tail rounded, of approximately equal lengths, and about as long as the body. Bill 

 typically parine (see foregoing characters). No bright colors (in any North American species). 

 Head in most species with black. Plumage lax and dull, without decided changes with age, 

 sex, or season. Size medium in the family. Nest excavated. Eggs spotted. 



Analysts qf Species. 

 Species definitely black-capped and black-tliroated. 



A white superciliary stripe montanas 48 



No white superciliary stripe. 



Tail not shorter than wing ; feathers of both with much hoary- whitish edging. 



Larger ; tail at maximum length, coloration most hoary. Missouri Region and Rocky 



Mts septentrional is 45 



Smaller ; tail moderate ; coloration less hoary. Eastern atrlcapillus 44 



Size of No. 44 ; coloration darker. Pacific Region occidentalis 46 



Tail shorter than wings ; whitish edgings of wings and tail obsolete. 



Rather smaller than No. 44. South Atlantic States carolinensis 47 



Rather sm.aller than No. 44 ; coloration very dark. Mexican border . . . meridimmlis 879 

 Species brown-capped, or crown quite like back, and blackish throat. 

 Cap hair-brown ; back little different. 



White confined to side of head. Eastern and Arctic hndsonicus 49 



White spreading over sides of neck. Arctic cinctus 52 



Cap dark wood-brown ; back chestnut. 



Back and sides rich chestnut alike. Pacific, northerly i-ufescens 50 



Back chestnut, but sides only washed with rusty. Pacific, southerly neglectus 61 



P. atricapUlus. (Lat. ater, black ; capillus, hair. Fig. 138.) Black-capped Titmouse. 

 Chickadee. Crown and nape, with chin and throat, black, separated by white sides of the 

 head. Upper parts brownaish-ash, with slight olive tinge, and a rusty wash on rump. Under 



