CHAPTER VI. TITMICE 



FAM. PARID.E 



"inXCEPTING.the aberrant genus Auriparus, which perjiaps 

 J--^ belongs elsewhere (see beyond), the North American Paridce 

 are all very closely interrelated, and agree in the following char- 

 acters: Bill very short and stout, straight, compressed-conoid 

 in shape, not notched nox with decurved tip, its under as well 

 as upper outline convex. Rictus without true bristles, but 

 base of the bill covered with tufts of bristly feathers directed 

 forward, entirely concealing the nostrils. Feet stout ; tarsi 

 distinctly sen tellate, longer than the middle toe; toes rather 

 short, the anterior soldered together at the base for most of 

 the length of the basal joint of the middle one. Hind toe with 

 an enlarged pad beneath, forming, with the consolidated bases 

 of the anterior toes, a broad firm sole. Wing with ] primaries, 

 of which the first is very short or spurious, scarcely or not 

 half as long as the second; wing as a whole rounded, scarcely 

 or not longer than the tail, which latter is rounded or graduated 

 and composed of 12 narrow soft feathers, with rounded or 

 somewhat truncated tips. Plumage long, soft and loose, with- 

 out bright colors (again excepting Auriparus) or well marked 

 changes according to sex, age or season. Size small (length 

 under 7 inches). 



There is really a close similarity in external form borne out 

 to some extent in habits between the Titmice and the Jays. 

 Thus a species of Parus is hardly distinguishable iu details of 

 form from Perisoreus, and Lophophanes as closely resembles 

 Cyanurus. There will, however, be no difficulty in distinguish- 

 ing them, if only by the arbitrary criterion of size for all the 

 Jays are much larger than any Titmice. In the assemblage of 

 upward of a hundred species which, according to conven- 

 tional usage, compose the Paridce, certain aberrant forms are 

 generally separated as subfamilies; but a large majority are 

 referable to the 



