396 



U. S. V. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGT — GENERAL REPORT. 



Java, in the collection of tlie Philadelphia Academy, shows that the bill in the last mentioned 

 genus is much shorter, deeper, and with the vertical outlines more curved. The wings are 

 longer, heing nearly equal to the tail. The hind toe is a little longer than the middle anterior 

 one, not shorter ; the outer lateral claw reaches to the middle of the central one instead of only 

 to its base. The legs are yellow instead of black. P. exilis is much smaller than any American 

 titmice, measuring but little over three inches. The American species of Psaltriparus are, 

 however, the smallest of our Parinae. 

 The species may be arranged as follows : 



a. Head striped with hlack on the sides. 

 The stripes passing under the eye and uniting on the occiput P. melanotis. 



b. No stripes on the head. 



Back ashy ; crown light brown P. minimus. 



Back and crown uniform ashy P. plumheus. 



m 



The first mentioned species differs in longer and more compressed bill from the others, and 

 may stand alone in the genus, and the others be referred to Psaltria or elsewhere. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



PSALTEIPAKUS MELANOTIS, B o n a p . 



Black-cheeked Tit. 



Parus melanotui, Sandbach, Pr. Brit. Ass. Vt, 1837, (1838,) 99, (only named.) — P. melanotis, Hartlaxtb, Rev. 



Zool. 1844, 216. 

 Poecila melanotis, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, 230. 

 .Segithaliscus melanotis. Cab. Mus. Hein. 1850-1, 90. 



Psaltria melanotis, Westehmann, Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 1851. — Cassin, III. I, 1853, 20. 

 Psaltriparus melanotis, Bonap. Comptes Rendus, XXXIII, 1854. 

 Psaltriparus personatus, Bp. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, Sept. 1850, 478. 

 Psaltria personata, Westermann, Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde i, 1851, 16; plate. 



Sp. Ch. — A black patch on each cheek nearly meeting behind. Crown and edges of the wing and tail ash gray; rest of 

 upper parts yellowish brown, lighter on the rump. Beneath whitish; anal region tinged with yellowish brown. Length 

 about 4 inches ; wing, 1 .90 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hob. — Eastern Mexico to the Rio Grande . 



In this species the bill is moderately long and considerably compressed ; the culmen straight 

 at the base, then rapidly curving to the tip which slightly overhangs the lower jaws ; the gony 

 also is decidedly curved, less so than the culmen. The tarsus is much longer than the middle 

 toe ; the outer lateral toe rather the longer, and reaching the base of the middle claw ; the hind 



