PAKID.K — THE TITMICE. 97 



{it tli(i lower maii(li1)le and ocoupieH tlie entire iiiuler finrfiice of tlie head and 

 throat, but not extending as tar hack within a quarter of an incli as that on 

 the upper part of the neek. The space Ijetween these two patches, on the 

 sides of the head and neck, is wiiite, tliis color extending along the hliick of 

 tlie back of the neck as far as its truncated extremity, but not b<jrdering it 

 behind. The middle of the breast and belly, as far as the vent, is dull 

 wJiite, that immediately behind tlie black of the throat a little clearer. The 

 sides of the breast and body under the wings, with the under tail-coverts, 

 are pale, dull brownish-white. The back, rumj), and upper tail-coverts are 

 of a dirty bluish-ash, waslied with yellowish-brown, especially on the rump. 

 The wings are brown ; the outer edges of the third to the seventh i)riniaries 

 narrowly edged with wliitisli ; the innermost sect)ndaries more broadly and 

 conspicuou.sly edged with the same ; larger coverts edged with dirty whitish. 

 Outer webs of tail-feathers edged with white, purest and occupying half the 

 web in the external one, narrowing and less clear to the central feathers, tlie 

 basal portions, especially, assuming more the color of the back. 



Hahits. Tlie common Chickadee or Jihick-cai)ped Titmou.se is so well 

 known throughout the greater portion of the United States as to be gen- 

 erally accepted, by common consent, as the tyjiical representative of its 

 numerous family. Until i-ecently it has been sup])osed to be universally 

 di.stributed over the continent, and while this is now (piestioned, it is iKjt 

 (piite clear where its limits occur. In Eastern IMaine the Parus hudsonictiH 

 and tliis species meet. In the District of Cidumbia it crosses the northern 

 limits of P. envoi iiiemia, and in the northern ^li.ssissippi Valley it mingles 

 with tlie Aar. septcntrionuiiH. It remains to be ascertained liow far the 

 species exceeds these bounds. 



A few individuals of this sp(!cies were observed by Mr. Dall, December 

 12, at Nulato, wjiere, however, it was not common. They were also ol)- 

 tained by lii.schoff at Sitka and Kodiak. 



As in very many essential respects the whole family of Pnrifh- are alike 

 in their characteristics of habits, tiieir manner of collecting food, their rest- 

 less, uneasy movements, tlie similarity of their cries, their residence in hol- 

 low trees or brandies, and their nesting in similar i)laces, witli the excei)tion 

 only of a few species that construct their own pouch-like nests, we have 

 taken the best known as the common point of comi)arison. Except in (he 

 variations in plumage, the jioints of difference are never great or very 

 noticeable. 



In New Englnnd the IJlack-Cap is one of our most common and I'amiliar 

 birds. In the vicinity of Calais, Mr. IJoardman sjieaks of it as resident and 

 abundant. The writer did not meet with it in Nova Scotia, nor even in the 

 islands of the Hay of Fuiidy, where the hiuhonicns is a coiumon bird. 



It is a resident species, nesting early in May, and Jiaving full-Hedged nest- 

 lings early in June. AVhile it seems to ])refi!r the edges of woods as best 

 allbrding the means of food and shelter, it by no means coutines itself to 



