CAROLINA TITMOUSE. 343 



long, slender, slightly incurved, rounded, of twelve narrow, rounded fea- 

 thers. 



Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet bluish-grey. The whole upper 

 part of the head and the hind neck pure black, as is a large patch on the 

 throat and fore neck. Between these patches of black, thei'e is a band of 

 greyish-white, from the base of the bill down the side of the neck, be- 

 coming broader and greyer behind. Back and wing-coverts ash-grey, 

 tinged with brown. Quills brown, margined with greyish-blue, as is the 

 tail, which is more tinged with grey. Lower parts greyish-white tinged 

 with brown, the sides more deeply tinted. 



Length 4j inches, extent of wings 6 ; bill along the ridge /^, along 

 the edge ^^^ ; tarsus ^ ^ . 



Adult Female. Plate CLX. Fig. 2. 



The female is similar to the male, but somewhat fainter in its tints. 



This species is closely allied to the Parus palustris of Europe, which, 

 however, has the black of the head tinged with brown, and that of the 

 throat not nearly so extensive or decided, and has the lower parts still 

 more tinged with yellowish-brown. It is also closely allied to the Partis 

 atricapillus of Wilson, of which a description is subjoined. 



THE BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE. 



Parus atricapillus, Wils. 



Proportions and plumage as in Parus caroUnensis. 



Bill brownish-black. Iris dark brown. Feet bluish-grey. The whole 

 upper part of the head and the hind neck pure black, as is a large patch 

 on the throat and fore neck. Between these patches of black is a band 

 of white, from the base of the bill down the sides of the neck, becoming 

 broader behind and encroaching on the back, which, with the wing-coverts, 

 is ash-grey tinged with brown. Quills brown, margined with bluish-white, 

 the secondary quills so broadly margined as to leave a conspicuous white 

 dash on the wing ; tail of the same colour, similarly edged. Lower parts 

 brownish-white. 



Length 5\ inches, extent of wings 8 ; bill along the ridge ■^%, along 

 the edge H ; tarsus J^. 



The two species are almost precisely similar in most respects; but 

 Parus caroUnensis is much smaller than P. atricapillus, the former being 



