108 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



crown or throat. Eyes white in some specimens, brown in others. Nest purse-shaped; 

 eggs unspotted, white. 



No bird of this genus belongs to the eastern portion of the United States. 

 The three sj)ecies may be defined as follows : — 



A. Head striped with black on the sides. 



P. melanotis. The stripes passing under the eye and uniting on the 

 occiput. Hah. Eastern Mexico 



B. No stripes on the head. 



P. minimus. Back ashy ; crown Hght brown. Hah. Pacific Province of 



United States var. m i n i m v s . 



Back and crown uniform ashy. Hub. Middle Province and southern Rocky 

 Mountains of United States var. plumbev s. 



Psaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. 



BLACK-EARED BUSH-TITMOUSE. 



Parus melanotis, Hartlaub, Rev. Zool. 1844, 216. Pmilc melanotis, Bp. Consp. 1850, 

 230. ^githaliscus melanotis, Cab. Mus. Hein. I, 1850, 1851, 90. Psaltria vielanofis, 

 Westermann, Bijd. Dierk. 1851, 16, plate. Psaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. C. R. 

 XXXVIII, 1854. — ScLATER, P. Z. S. 1858, 299. — Ib. 1864, 172 (City Mex.).— 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1866, 190 (Guatemala). — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 386, pi. liii, fig. 

 3 ; Review, 84. PsaUnparus personatus, Bonap. C. R. XXXI, Sept. 1850, 478. 



Sp. Char. A black patch on each cheek, nearly meeting behind. Crown and edges of 

 the wing and tail ash-gray ; rest of upper parts yellowish-brown, lighter on the rump. 

 Beneath whitish ; anal region tinged with yellowish-bi-own. Length about 4 inches ; 

 wing, 1.90 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hab. Eastern Mexico; south to Guatemala; Oaxaca (high region), Sclater. East 

 Humboldt Mountains, Nevada ? Ridgway. 



Habits. In regard to the specific peculiarities and the distinct individual 



habits of the members of this pretty little 

 species, little is at present known. Its mode 

 of nesting has not been observed, and no 

 mention is made, by those who have met 

 with it, of its peculiarities of song, nor have 

 we any information in regard to any of its 

 habits. Its geographical distriluition, so far 

 as ascertained, is from the south side of the 

 valley of the Eio Grande of Mexico to Gua- 

 temala, and there is no reliable evidence of 

 its crossing the United States boundary line, unless Mr. Eidgway. is correct 

 in his assurance that he saw it in the East Humboldt Mountains of Nevada, 

 near Fort Euby. It was first described from Guatemalan specimens. Mr. 

 0. Salvin (Ibis, 1866, p. 190) states that on more than one occasion he 

 observed what he believed to be this species, in tlie pine-woods of the 

 mountains near Solola, and above the lake of Atitlan. 



Psaltriparus minimus. 



