PARID.E — THE TITMICE. 



87 



Gen. Char. Crown with a conspicuous crest. Bill conical ; both upper and lower 

 outlines convex. Wings graduated ; first quill very short. Tail moderately long and 

 rounded. Nests in hollow trees ; eggs white with fine red dottings. 



Of this genus there are several North American species, all agreeing in 

 general characters. One of these, 

 the L. wollweheri, is given by Ca- 

 banis as typical, while he sepa- 

 rates the L. hicolor generically 

 under the name of Ba'olojjhm, 

 as having a rather different form 

 of crest, stouter bill and i'eet, and 

 longer wings. All of our species, 

 however, vary in these charac- 

 ters, each one showing a different 

 combination, so that we prefer to 

 consider all as belonging to the 

 same genus with P. cristatas. 



The species, all of which have the under parts uniform whitish, may be 

 arranged as follows : — 



L. bicolor. Above plumbeous ; forehead black ; crown much like the back. Huh. 

 Eastern Province United States. 



L. atricristatus. Above plumbeous ; forehead whitish ; crown black. Huh. East 

 Mexico, north to Rio Grande. 



L. inornatus. Above olivaceous; forehead and crown like the back. Hah. South of 

 Middle and Western Provinces of United States. 



L. -woUweberi. Sides of head banded black and white ; crown ash ; throat black. 

 Hub. S. Rocky Mountains of United States ; Mexico to Oaxaca. 



l.nphoplianes bicolor. 



Lophophanes bicolor, Bonap. 



TUFTED TITMOUSE; BLACK-FRONTED TITMOUSE. 



Parus bicolor, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. I, 1766, 340 (based on Parus cristatics, Oatesby, 

 I, pi. Ivii). — Pii. Max. Cab. Jour. VI, 1858, 118. Lophoplmncs bicolor, Bon. List 

 Birds Europe, 1842. — Baird, Bird.s N. Am. 1858, 384; Review, 78. — Sclateu, 

 Catal. 1861, 14, no. 87. Bccolophus bicolor, Cab. Mas. Heiu. I, 1850, 91 (type of genus). 

 Loplwplm.nes missouricnsis, Baikd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 384 (var. from Missouri River). 



Figures: Wilson, Am. Orn. I, \)\. viii, fig. 5. — Aud. Orn. Biog. I, pi. ccci ; In. Birds 

 Am. II, pi. cxxv. 



Sp. Char. Above ashy ; a black frontal band. Beneath (iull wln'tish ; sides brownish- 

 chestnut, of more or less intensity. Length, 0.25 inches; wing, ;i.l7. 

 Hab. United States, from Missouri Valley eastward. 



Feathers of the crown elongated into a ffattened crest, which extends back 

 as far as the occiput. Bill conical; lower edge of upper mandil)le nearly 

 straight at the base. Fourth and lifth quills equal ; tliird a little shorter 



