268 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS — PASSEBES-^ OSCINES. 



white, nnmarked. The three species are western ; they are notable for their diminutive size, 



scarcely equalling a PoUoptila in bulk. 



AnaJysis of Species. 



Crown brown, unlike back ; no black on side of head minimus 53 



Crown like back ; no black on side of head phimheiis 64 



Crown asb, unlike back ; a black stripe on side of liead melanotis 65 



53. P. min'imus. (Lat. minimus, least, sui.ilk'st.) Least Bush-tit. $ ? : Dull lead-color, 

 fieHuently with a brown- 

 ish or olivaceous shade, 

 the top of the head ab- 

 ruptly darker — clove- 

 bi'own or hair-brown. 

 Below sordid whitish, or 

 brownish-white. Wings 

 and tail dusky, with 

 shght hoary edgings 

 BiU and feet black 

 Length 4.00 or less , 

 wing scarcely or not 

 2.00; tail 2.00 or more 

 bill 0.25; tarsus O.f.O 

 Young birds do not dif- 

 fer materially. There i.s 

 considerable variati(ju in 

 the precise shade of tin 

 body, but the brown cap 

 always differs in coloi 

 from the rest of the up- 

 jier parts. Pacific coast 

 region of the U. S. 



54. P. plum'beus. (Lat 

 plumheus, lead-colored.) 

 Plumbeous Bush-tit 

 (J 9 : Clear plumbeous, 

 with little or no olive 

 or brownish shade ; top 

 of head not different 

 from the back ; sides 

 of head pale brownish. 

 Under parts as in P. 

 minimus, but clearer. 

 Tail longer than wings. 



Eyes yellow or dark brown. Length about 4.2.5; wing 1.88-2.12; tail 2.25-2.50; bill 

 0.25 ; tarsus 0.60. Very closely related to P. miiiimiis ; but specimens are readily distin- 

 guishable. Total length greater, owing to elongation of tlie tail, which sometimes exceeds 

 the wings by 0.50. General coloration clearer and purer ; crown not different in color from the 

 back, but cheeks brownish in obvious contrast. Southern Rocky Mt. region, fi'om Wyoming 

 and Nevada southward ; common in Arizcma. 

 .55. P. melano'tis. (Gr. ixcXas, tiielas, gen. /leXavos, melanos, black ; ovs, ous, gen. wtos, ofos, ear.) 

 Black-eared Bush-tit. <y, adult: Sides of head bi-oadly black with greenish lustre, the 



Least Busb-tit and nest, about ^ nat. size. (Ad nat. del. H. W. 



