34 MR. GAMBEL ON THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA. 



Lesson, in his Traite de Ornith., p. 400, gives a Troglodytes Americanus, from 

 Cayenne, which had been so named by Cuvier, in the Gal du Paris ; but as no 

 description appears to have been published, Audubon's name must remain good. 



Genus *CHAMiEA.t 

 Bill short, tapering to the point, acute and compressed. Both mandibles entire, 

 ridge of upper elevated, and curving nearly from the base ; the depression for the 

 nostrils large, oval, and exposed ; the nostrils opening beneath a membrane in the 

 depression. Wings very short and much rounded. Tail very long and graduated. 

 Tarsus long. This genus belongs to the sub-family Menurince of Gray. 



Plate VIIL, fig. 3. 

 33. C. FASCiATA, Gamb. Ground Tit. Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sc, vol. iii., p. 154. 

 Parus fasciatus, Gamb., Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sc, vol. ii., p. 265. 



Male. — Feathers of the head elongated, erectile into a crest; head greyish brown, inclining to bluish grey 

 on the cheeks and sides of the neck. Back, rump, margins of wing and tail feathers olive brown. 

 Beneath pale rufous, slightly mingled with bluish grey about the throat and breast, and with brownish 

 about the flanks and vent. Wings and tail dusky brown, the latter distinctly barred throughout with 

 a darker colour, having from twenty to twenty-five bars, the quill feathers also barred in the same 

 manner on their inner webs. Bill and feet dark horn colour. Feathers between nostrils and eye 

 whitish. Wings short and rounded. 1st quill an inch shorter than 5th, 6th and 7th, which are 

 longest. 3d shorter than 9th to 12th, from flexure -24 inches. Tail very long, cuneated, 3i inches in 

 length; two outer feathers 1 i inches shorter than middle ones. Tarsus long and slender, 1 inch. Total 

 length about 5 inches, extent of wings the same. 



The bars on the tail and wings in some specimens are more indistinct than in others. 



This interesting bird, placed provisionally among the Titmice, I have made the 

 type of a new genus, not being able, as yet, to find a suitable place for it, among those 

 already described. 



For several months before discovering the bird, I chased among the fields of dead 

 mustard stalks, the weedy margins of streams, low thickets and bushy places, a con- 

 tinued, loud, crepitant, grating scold, which I took for that of some species of wren, 

 but at last found to proceed from this Wren-Tit, if it might be so called. It is always 

 difficut to be seen, and keeps in such places as I have described, close to the ground ; 

 eluding pursuit, by diving into the thickest bunches of weeds and tall grass, or tangled 

 bushes, uttering its grating wren-like note whenever an approach is made towards it. 

 But if quietly watched, it may be seen, when searching for insects, to mount the 

 twigs and dried stalks of grass sideways, jerking its long tail, and keeping it erect 

 like a wren, which, with its short wings, in such a position it so much resembles. 

 At the same time uttering a very slow, monotonous, singing, chickadee note, like 

 pee pee pee pee peep ; at other times its notes are varied, and a slow, whistling, 



t From X0'l^"-h on the ground. 



