108 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



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

 eggs unspotted, white. 



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

 The three species may be defined as follows : — 



A* Head striped witli black on the sides. 



P. melanotia. The stripes passing un<ler the eye and uniting on the 



occiput. Huh. Eastern Mexico 

 B* No stripes on the head. 



P. minimuH. Back ashy ; crown light brown. Ilah. Pacific Province of 



United States var. minimus. 



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



Mountains of United States var. plumbeus. 



Psaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. 



BLACK-EABED BUSH-TITKOUSE. 



Parus melanotis, Hartlafb, Rev. Zool. 1844, 216. Poecile melanotis, Bp. Consp. 1850, 

 230. ^-Eyilluiliscus melanotis. Cab. Mus. Hein. I, 1850, 1851, 90. Psaltria melanotis, 

 Westermaxn, Bijd. Dierk. 1851, 16, plate. Psultriparus melanotis, BoxAP. C. R. 

 XXXVIII, 1854. — S» LATER, P. Z. S. 1858, 299. — Id. 1864, 172 (City Max.).— 

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

 3 ; Review, 84. Psaltriparus personatus, Bonaf. 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-brown. Length about 4 inches j 

 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 

 si^cies, 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 distribution, so far 

 as ascertained, is from the south side of the 

 valley of the Rio Grande of Mexico to Gua- 

 temala, and there is no reliable evidence of 

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

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

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

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

 observ^ed what he believed to be this species, in the pine-woods of the 

 mountains near Solola, and above the lake of Atitlan. 



29711 8 



Psaltriparus minimus. 



