196 VERTEBRATES: BIRDS. 



The Brown-headed Nuthatch, 5. pusilla, Lath., of the 

 South Atlantic States, is four inches long, the wing two 

 and a half inches ; the color above ashy blue, top of the 

 head and upper part of the neck light brown, divided on 

 the nape by white ; beneath, dingy white. 



The California Nuthatch, 5. pygmcea, Vigors, of West- 

 ern North America, is about four inches long, the wing 

 two and four tenths inches, and closely resembles the 

 preceding. 



PARID.E, OR TITMOUSE FAMILY. This Family com- 

 prises birds which have the bill short, straight, and con- 

 ical, the wings short, and tail long. 



The Genus Polioptila has the bill depressed at base, 

 nearly as long as the head, notched at the tip, and with 

 rictal bristles. The members of this genus are lead-color 

 above, white beneath.- 



The Blue-gray Gnat-catcher, P. ccerulea, Sclat, of 

 North America, is four and three tenths inches long, 

 the wing less than two and a quarter inches, and is 

 distinguished by the two outer tail-feathers, which are 

 entirely white, and a narrow black frontal line which 

 extends back over the eye. 



The Western Gnat-catcher, P. plumbed, Baird, of the 

 valley of Colorado, has no black on the forehead, but a 

 stripe over the eye ; and the outer web only of the outer 

 tail-feather is white. 



The Black-tailed Gnat-catcher, P. melanura, Lawr., of 

 the Rio Grande region, has the entire top of the head 

 black, and the edge only of the outer tail-feather white. 



The Genus Lophophanes has the crown with a con- 

 spicuous crest. 



The Tufted Titmouse, L. bicolor, Bonap., of North 

 America east of the Missouri, is six and a quarter inches 

 long, the wing less than three and a quarter inches ; the 

 color above ashy black, forehead black, beneath dull 

 whitish. 



