108 



XOHTli AJ[ERICAN BIRDS. 



crown or throat. Eyos while in somo specimens, brown, in others. Nest purse-shaped; 

 eggs un.spotted, wliite. 



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

 The three species may be defined as follows : — 



A» Tload striped witli black on the sides. 



P. melanotis. The stripes passing under the eye and uniting on the 



occiput. Huh. Eastern Mexico 

 B« No stripes on the head. 



P. minimus. Back ashy ; crown light brown. ll(th. Pacific Province of 



United States var. viinimua. 



Back and crown uniform ashy. Ilab. iiliddle Province and southern Rocky 



Mountains of United States var. plumbeus. 



Fsaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. 



BLACK-EAKED BVSH-TITKOUSE. 



Parus melanotis, Hautlaub, Hcv. Zobl. 1844, 216. Pn-cile melanotis, Bp. Consp. 1850, 

 230. .Kyilluilisciis melanotis. Cab. llus. Heiii. 1, 1850, 1851, DO. Psallria mclanolis, 

 Wk,stki!MAXN, Bijd. Dierk. 1851, IG, plate. Rwllriparus mclaniilis, Bonap. C. U. 

 XXXVIII, 1854. — Sd.ATKi!, P. Z. S. 18.58, 29*). — In. 1864, 172 (City Mex.).— 

 S. 1.VIN, Ibis, 1866, li)0 (C.uatemnlii). — BAinn, iiinls N. Ain. 1858, 386, pi. liii, tig. 

 3 ; lievicw, 84. Psaltriparits pcrsonatus, Bonap. C. U. XXXI, Sept. 1850, 478. 



Sp. Char. A black patch on each cheek, nearly mt^eting behind. Crown and edges of 

 the wing and tail a.sh-gniy ; rest of upper ]tarls j'ellowish-brown, lighter on the nnnp. 

 Beneath whitish; anal region tinged with yellowish-brown. Length about 4 inches; 

 wing, I.iJO; tail, 2.^0. 



Had. Eastern Mexico; south to Guatemala; Oaxiica (high region), Scl.^ter. East 

 Humboldt Mountains, Nevada i" IIidoway. 



Habits. In regard to the specific peculiarities and tlie distinct individual 



habits of tlie members of this pretty little 

 species, little is at present known. Its mode 

 of nesting has not been observed, and no 

 mention is made, l)y those who have met 

 with it, of its peculiarities of song, nor have 

 we any information in regfird to any of its 

 habits. Its geograpliical distrib .tion, so far 

 as ascertained, is from the south side of the 

 vall(\y of the Hio (Jrande of Mexico to Gua- 

 temala, and there is no reliable evidence of 

 its crossing the United Stai.'s boundary line, unless Mr. Kidgway is correct 

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

 near Fort Kuby. It was first dcscrii)ed from (luatemalan specimens. Mr. 

 0. Salvin (Ibis, 18()(), p. 190) states that on more tlian one occasion he 

 observed what he believed to be tliis species, in the pine-woods of the 

 mountiiins near Solola, and above the lake of Atitlan. 



2»T11 6 



PsaltrijHirus minimHs. 



