PARID^ — THE TITMICE. 



95 



Sides dark rusty-brown. Wing, 2.45; tail, 2.45; tarsus, .02; middle 



toe, .35; graduation of tail, .30. (17,101, Halifax, N. S.) Hub. Arctiu 



America; south to northern boundary of the United States (except to 



westwai'd). 



7. P. sibiricuB.' Side of neck white. Back, etc., rusty ochraceous- 



gr.ay. Sides rusty ochraceous. Wing, 2.70; tail, 2.80; tarsus, .00; 



middle toe, .30 ; graduation of tail, .30. Hub. Europe. 



Parus montanus, Gambel. 



HOTTNTAIV CHICKADEE: WHITE-BBOWED CHICKAOEE. 



Parus nwnlaniis, Gambel, Pr. A. N. S. Pliila. April, 1843, 259 ; Journ. A. N. Sc. 2d 

 SiMics, I, 1847, 3.1, pi. viii, f. 1. — lUiKi), B. N. A. 1858, 394 ; Review Am. H. 1, 18U4, 

 82. — Klliot, lllust. —CooPEli, Bird.sOal. I, 46. 



Sp. CriAR. Head and neck above, with und(;r part of head and throat, glossy black ; 

 forehead, stripe above the eye and band below it, involving the auriculars, wliite. These 

 stripes end)raeing between them a black band through the eye and confluent with the black 

 of the head. Above .ishy; beneath similar, but paler; the upper part of breast and middle 

 line of belly white. Length about 5 inches; wing, 2.00; tail, 2.40. 



Hab. Mountain region of Middle and Western United States. 



Habits. Tlie Mountain Chickadee was first met with by Dr. Gambel in 

 journeying westward from Santa Fe, in New Me.xico, and from thence was 

 found in all the ranges of tJie Eocky 

 Mountains nearly to California. Its 

 notes and hal)its are said to closely 

 resemble tlio,se of the conmion Chick- 

 adee, but weaker and more varied. It 

 keeps more in low bushes, where it 

 moves from branch to branch with 

 untiring activity, searching eacli mi- 

 nutely for small insects. It also fre- 

 quently descends to the ground to 

 pick up small seeds. While tiius oc- 

 cupied it will occasionally stop, look 



Piirits alricapillux. 



round and, uttering a slender te-de-de, and then its usual note, to-de-de-daU 

 will fly to another bush. 



On the Hio Colorado they kept chiefly among the cotton-wood trees that 

 grew along its banks, and its ihmiliar notes were almost the only souiuls 

 heard. They were observed in large an.l busy flocks along the snuUlcr 

 streams in company with tiie Least Tit and the Regnli. Dr. Gambel did 

 not hnd them, however, so abun.lant on the California sides of the rid-e 

 wliere other species took their place. ° ' 



Ur. Heermann found this Titmouse abundant among the mountains sur- 

 > Parua Hbiriciin, Omel. S. N. 1788, p. 1013. 



