266 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



Fig. 138. — Black-carped Chickadee, 

 reduced. (Adiiat. del, E. C.) 



parts more or less purely white or whitish, shaded on the sides with a brownish or rusty wash. 



Wings and tail like upper parts, the feathers moderately edged with hoary-white. Average 



dimensions: length 5.25; extent 8.00; wing and tail, 



each, 2.50; tarsus 0.70. Extremes: length 4.75-5.50; 



extent 7-50-8.50; wing and tail 2. 35-2. 05 ; tarsus 0.65- 



0.75. Eastern N. Am., from the Middle States northward, 



very abundant, well-kn(jwn by its familiar habits and pecu- 

 liar notes. Nest in holes of trees, stumps, or fences, natural 



or excavated by the bird, made of grasses, mosses, hair, fur, 



feathers, etc. ; eggs 6-8, 0.58 X 0.47, white, fully sprinkled 



with reddish-brown dots and spots. 

 45. P. a. septentrlona'Hs. (Lat. septentrionalis , northern ; 



septentrioties, the constellation of seven stars, the dipper.} 



L0N&-TAILED Chickadee. Similar to P. atricapilhis ; 



averaging larger, and especially longer-tailed, the tail 



rather exceeding the wing in length. Coloration clear and 



pure; wings and tail very strongly edged, especially on 



the secondaries and outer tail-feathers, with hoary-white, 



which usually passes entirely around their tips. Cap pure 



blacli and very exrtensive on the nape ; black of throat 



reaching breast ; sides of head and neck snowy-white. 



]5ill and feet dark plumbeous. Average dimensions about 



the maxima of P. atricajnllus : lengtli 5.25-5.50; extent 



8.50; wiug 2.50-2.75; tail 2.60-2.80, sometimes 3.00. This style reaches its extreme devel- 

 opment in the region of the Upper Missouri and Rocky Mts., there apparently to the exclusion 



(if P. airicapillus proper. 



P. a. occidenta'Us. (Lat. ccciilcntalis, western; occido, I fall; i. e., where the sun sets.) 



Western Chickadee. Similar to P. atrkapiUus ; of the same average size; presenting 



tlie opposite extreme from P. septentrionalis in minimum edging of wing- and tail-feathers 



with hoary, heavy brownish wash of sides, and general dark sordid coloration. U. S., Pacific 



coast region. 



P. carolineu'sis. (Lat. of Carolina.) Carolina Chickadee. Averaging smaller than P. 



atricftpillus, witli relatively as well as absolutely shorter tail, which is rather shorter than the 



wings ; wings and tail very little edged with whitish. Average dimensions about at the minima of 



P. (itricapillus. Length about 4.50 ; wing 2.50; tail 2.25. South Atlantic and Gulf States; 



N. to Washington and Southern Illinois. Nesting like- P. ati-icapjillus ; eggs similar, rather 



smaller. 

 879. P. meridiona'lis. (Lat. meridionalis , southern.) JIexican Chick.vdee. Differs decidedly 



from P. atricapinus in having the under parts merely a paler shade of the ashy of the upper, 



instead of white, Avithont any brownish wash (m sides; .wing-coverts and tail lacking any 



hoary edging, though the wing-quills have a slight grayish- 

 white edging. Thus quite like P. montanus in color, but no 



wliite superciliary stripe. Length 4.80-5.20; extent S.OO- 



8.70; wing 2.67-2.90; tail 2.40-2.67. Mexico, recently ascer- 

 tained to occur in Arizona. (Numbered among addenda in 



the Check List, 1SS2.) 

 48. P. monta'nus. (Lat. montanus, of mountains. Fig. 139.) 



Mountain Chickadee. Upper parts ashy-gray, with scarcely 



a sliade, and only on the rump, (if the ochraceous seen in most 



other species ; under parts similarly grayish-white, without a rusty tinge, the middle of the 



46. 



47. 



Fig. 139. —Mountain Chickadee, 

 nat. size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) 



