BIRDS PARIDAE PARUS CAROLINENSIS. 



393 



and seventh, which are equal ; the second quill is appreciably longer than the longest second- 

 aries. The tail is slightly rounded, the greatest difference in length of the feathers being .15 

 of an inch. 



The top of the head and upper part of the neck are black, this color coming down to the 

 lower edge of the eye. The under part of the head and the anterior part of the throat are 

 also black, this color not extending as far back below as above. The space between the black 

 patches is white, which borders the upper one obscurely on the posterior portion of the side, 

 but not on the posterior extremity. It also suffuses the posterior portion of the black of the 

 throat. The under parts are dirty white, on the sides and posteriorly tinged with pale brownish. 

 Tlie upper parts are of a dirty bluish ash, tinged with yellowish brown, especially on the rump. 

 The quills are all margined with bluish ash, like the back, which is a little paler on the inner- 

 most secondaries, and third to seventh primaries, but not conspicuously so ; not at all white. 

 Outer webs of tail feathers all edged with the color of the back, becoming rather lighter from 

 the central to the external ones ; never white, however, nor with a well defined line of demark- 

 ation on the outer web of the outer tail feather. 



This species is veiy similar to the P. atricapillus, and were they to be separated by a wide 

 interval of locality it might be a question whether it might not be a mere variety. As, however, 

 both are found together in the middle States, and preserving their characteristics, there will be 

 little risk in considering them distinct. 



This species is, in general, rather smaller than P. atricapillus, although the tail and wing 

 appear of much the same size. The body and feet are, however, smaller, the extent of wing 

 three-quarters of an inch less. The bill is apparently shorter and stouter. The difference in 

 size is, perhajis, even greater than that given by the measurement, as, without a male P. atri- 

 capillus or female carolinensis before me at the time of writing, I am obliged to compare males 

 of the smaller kind with the female of the larger. 



The primaries are proportionally and absolutely considerably longer than the secondaries in 

 the present species, the difference being .55 of an inch, instead of .45. The tail is rather more 

 rounded, the feathers narrower. 



The only difference in color appreciable in the specimens before me is the absence of the 

 strongly whitish edgings to the outer tail feathers, the third to the seventh primaries, and the 

 secondaries, the latter especially. There is a lighter shade on these parts, but never of the 

 almost white and well defined character seen in P. atricapillus. 



List of specimens. 



50 b 



