558 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



a*. Lower parts pale brownish gray, becoming white only on chin and throat ; pri- 

 mary coverts usually (always?) without whitish tips; rump deep rusty, 

 almost chestnut, and colors throughout very dark, the prevailing color of 

 upper parts dark sepia-brown ; length about 4.80-5.60, wing 2.55-2.60 (2.58), 

 tail 2.65, culmen .70-.73 (.71), bill from nostril .42-.4S (.44), tarsus .58-.60 

 (:59), hind-toe .30-.35 (.32), hind-claw .30-.35 (.32). Hob. Highlands of Gua- 

 temala and Mexico, north into southern Arizona. 



726a. C. familiaris mexicana (GLOG.). Mexican Creeper. 



FAMILY PARID-^E. THE NUTHATCHES AND TITS. (Page 322.) 



Genera. 



a 1 . Bill slender, long as the head ; hind-toe longer than middle toe ; tail much 

 shorter than wing, varied with white and black. (Subfamily Sittince.') 



Sitta. (Page 559.) 

 a*. Bill stouter, much shorter than the head ; hind-toe shorter than middle toe ; 



tail equal to or longer than wing, plain-colored. 



b l . Nostrils concealed by feathers ; tarsus with anterior covering scutellate on 

 outer side ; tail graduated for much less than half its length. (Sub- 

 family Parince. 1 } 

 c l . Bill with either the culmen or the gonys (sometimes both) decidedly 



convex ; nostrils wholly concealed ; plumage very lax. 

 d 1 . Tail not conspicuously longer than wing, rounded. 



Parus. (Page 560.) 

 d 2 . Tail conspicuously longer than wing, graduated. 



Psaltriparus. (Page 564.) 



c 3 . Bill with both culmen and gonys nearly straight, the tip acute ; nos- 

 trils partially exposed; plumage compact.. Auriparus. (Page 565.) 

 6*. Nostrils entirely exposed ; tarsus with anterior covering fused or booted 

 on outer side; tail graduated for about half its length. (Subfamily 

 Chamceince.') Chamaea. (Page 566.) 



(.75), bill from nostril .40-.52 (.46), tarsus .58-.60 (.59), hind-toe .28-.30 (.29), hind-claw .30-.35 

 (.33). Eggs .59 X .46. Hab. Rocky Mountain district, north to Alaska, west to Nevada, etc. 



C. familiaris montaiia RIDGW. Eocky Mountain Creeper. 

 (Certhia montana RIDGW., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. July 8, 1882, 114.) 



a 2 . Darker and more rusty in general cast of plumage, the lateral lower parts more or less (often strongly) 

 tinged with brownish, streaks on upper parts more brownish (often decidedly tawny), the rump more 

 rusty, superciliary stripe more brownish (often bright tawny), and wing-markings decidedly buffy. 

 Wing 2.40-2.50 (2.47), tail 2.30-2.70 (2.45), culmen .68-.80 (.72), bill from nostril .42-.50 (.44), tarsus 

 .55-.65 (.59), hind-toe .28-.S2 (.30), hind-claw .30-.35 (.32). Eggs .61 X .48. Hb. Pacific coast 

 of North America, from southern California (in mountains) to Sitka. 



C. familiaris occidentalis RIDGW. California!! Creeper. 

 (Certhia occidentalis RIDGW., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. July 8, 1882, 115.) 



1 I have been obliged to assign different limits to the subfamilies Parinx and ChamieinK from those given 

 in the A. 0. U. Check List, on account of the impossibility of giving characters which would cover the ex- 

 tremely different genera there inadvertently placed under CftamtriiiK. The latter properly includes only Chama ; 

 and it is extremely doubtful whether this genus has any real affinity with the Parids, its relationship being 

 probably much nearer to the Troglodytidic. 



