390 



U. S. p. E. E. EXP. AND SDEVETS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL EEPOET. 



List of specimens. 



PARUS ATRICAPILLUS, Linn. 



Black-cap Titmonse. 



Ponts atrieapiUus, Linn. Syst. Nat I, 1766, 341.— Gm. I, 1788, 1008.— Forster, Philos. Trans. LXH, 1772, 383.— 

 Wilson, Am. Cm. I, 1808, 134 -, pi. viii.f. 4.— Bon. Obs. Wilson, J. A. N. S. IV, 1825, 254. 



(Differences from P. palustris.) — Audobon, Orn. Biog. IV, 1838 ; pi. 353, f. S Ib. Birds Amer. 



II, 1841, 146 ; pi. 126.— Cassin, 111. I, i, 1853, 17. 



Poecila atricapilla, Bon. Consp. 1850, 230 



Parus palustris, Nott. Man. 1, 1632, 79 



Sp. Ch. — Second quill as long as the secondaries. Tail very slightly rounded ; lateral feathers about .10 shorter than middle. 

 Back brownish ashy. Top of head and throat black, sides of head between them white. Beneath v/hitish ; brownish white 

 on the sides. Outer tail feathers, some of primaries, and secondaries conspicuously margined with white. 

 Length, 5 ; wing, 2.50 ; tail, 2.50. 

 Hab. — Eastern North America along the Atlantic border. 



In this species the first quill is spurious ; the fourth quill is longest ; the fifth and sixth 

 successively a little shorter ; the third is about equal to or a little shorter than the eighth ; the 

 second is a very little longer than the secondaries. The tail is a little rounded, the innermost 

 feather longest, the rest successively a little shorter. The greatest difference in length of tail 

 feathers amounts to .10 of an inch. 



The entire crown, from the bill to the upper part of the back, coming down on the sides to 

 the lower level of the eye, is pure black, although the edge alone of the lower eyelid is of this 

 color. A second black patch, begins at the lower mandible and occupies the entire under 

 surface of the head and throat, but not extending as far back within a quarter of an inch as 

 that on the upper part of the neck. The space between these two patches, on the sides of the 

 head and neck, white, this color extending along the black of the back of the neck as far as its 

 truncated extremity, but not bordering it behind. The middle of the breast and belly, as far 

 as the vent, are dull white, that immediately behind the black of the throat a little clearer. 

 The sides of the breast and body under the wings, with the under tail coverts, are pale, dull 

 brownish white. The back, rump, and upper tail coverts are of a dirty bluish ash, washed with 

 yellowish brown, especially on the rump. The wings are brown ; the outer edges of the third 

 to the seventh primaries narrowly edged with whitish ; the innermost secondaries more broadly 



