508 University of California Publications in Zoology | Vou. 17 
Penthestes gambeli gambeli (Ridgway) 
Rocky Mountain Chickadee 
Parus montanus Gambel (1843, p. 259); and of authors, part. This name 
preoccupied (see Ridgway, 1904, p. 409). 
Parus gambeli Ridgway in American Ornithologists’ Union Committee 
(1886, p. 335) ; and of authors, part. Substitute name. 
Parus gambeli thayeri Birtwell (1901, p. 166). Based on adventitiously 
colored specimen from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Type in United 
States National Museum. 
Penthestes gambeli, of authors, part. 
Type locality—Santa Fé, New Mexico. 
Diagnosis —Among the four subspecies of Penthestes gambeli here 
recognized, color alone is sufficient for distinguishing P. gambeli gam- 
beli. The flanks, sides of body and back in this form are pervaded 
with a distinct tinge of cinnamon—more exactly, the ‘‘pinkish buff’’ 
of Ridgway (1912, pl. 29). In addition, this race shows the greatest 
leneth of tail, and slenderest bill. 
Measurements—Average of 14 males: Wing, 70.5 mm.; tail, 70.2; 
exposed culmen, 8.6; depth of bill at base, 3.8. For extremes, see 
accompanying table. 
Note.—In this paper the length of wing is the usual chord of the folded wing 
as dried at the side of the body in the conventional study skin. The tail length, 
however, is measured from the base of the uropygium to the tip of the longest 
pair of rectrices. It is found that in preparing specimens there is a practically 
uniform place for cutting off from the body the uropygium with attached 
feathers, and this is exactly where the tail bends back at an angle to the body in 
the fresh bird. The lateral rectrices are rooted evenly with the base of the dried 
uropygium so that the measurement of tail length thus taken becomes the distance 
from the extreme proximal ends of the most lateral pair of rectrices to the tips 
of the central pair—somewhat greater than the length of tail as given by Ridgway 
(1901, p. xv), the latter being the measurement from the base of the central pair 
of tail feathers to the tips of same. My reason for adopting this different pro- 
cedure here is that more accuracy seems possible thereby, at least in the kind of 
material here dealt with. There is less mussing of the specimen also. 
Neither depth of bill nor culmen is a practical index to degree of 
slenderness of bill. No ordinary method of measurement will suffice 
to indicate the facts as they are perceived by the eye. 
As will be seen by the dates in the tables, as a rule only unworn 
specimens have been selected for measurement. 
Range-—The Rocky Mountain region of North America, from 
eastern British Columbia and western Alberta south to western Texas, 
New Mexico and Arizona. Specimens examined, 72, from the follow- 
ing localities: 
Alberta: Smoky Valley, 50 miles north of Jasper House, 1; Henry House, 1; 
15 miles west of Henry House, 1. 
