BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 376 



Family PARIDiE. 



THE TITMICE. 



Small " ten-primaried " acutiplantar O^cines, with the bill much 

 shorter than the head (much shorter than tarsus), unnotched; nostrils 

 small, nonoperculate, concealed by antrorse latero-frontal plumules; 

 hallux not distinctly, if at all, longer than longest (outer) lateral toe; 

 outer toe not distinctly, if at all, longer than inner; acrotarsium dis- 

 tinctly scutellate; wing rounded, with seventh to fourth primaries 

 longest, the ninth shorter than fifth (usually shorter than first), the 

 tenth at least one-third as long as the ninth.'' 



Bill small, very much shorter than head, more or less conoidal, but 

 extremely variable in relative length and thickness and curvature of 

 culmen, the maxillary tomium^ without trace of subterminal notch, 

 the rhamphotheca smooth throughout; gonys relative!}' long (twice as 

 long as mandibular rami or more). Nostril very small, roundish, non- 

 operculate, latero-basal, X entirely hidden by antrorse latero-frontal 

 plumules. Rictal bristles usually distinct, but never conspicuous 

 (obsolete in Auriparus, Paaltrijparvs, and allied Palsearctic genera). 

 " Tongue obtuse, beset at tip with horny bristles." ^ Wing well devel- 

 oped, but rounded; eighth to fourth primaries longest, the tenth (outer- 

 most) less than half as long as ninth, sometimes scarcely more than one- 

 fourth as long, rarely" rudimentary, scarcely obvious. Tail variable 

 in relative length, rarely only about half as long as wing," usually 

 about as long, sometimes much longer, usually slightly rounded, some- 

 times excessively graduated, rarely ** emarginate. Tarsus variable as 

 to relative length, but always decidedly longer than middle toe with 

 claw, the acrotarsium distinctly scutellate; outer toe slightly longer 

 than inner toe, its claw reaching to or beyond base of middle claw; 

 hallux equal in length to inner toe, but much stouter, its claw much 

 larger than that of any of the anterior toes, sometimes nearly as long 

 as the digit; basal phalanx of middle toe adherent to outer toe for 

 most if not the whole of its extent, to the inner by not less than half 

 (sometimes all) of its length. 



Coloration.- — Extremely variable, but never streaked, spotted, nor 

 barred. 



Range. — Northern hemisphere in general, chiefly the Palsearctic 

 region; one genus, apparently, in Australia.^ 



« Except in the Palaearctic genus Remiza Stejneger {^^Aegiihalus of authors, not 

 Aegithalos Hermann, 1804). 



»Gadow, Oat. Birds, Brit. Mus., viii, 1883, 2. 



« In the Asiatic genus Cephalopyrus. 



<^In genera Cephalopyrus and Sylviparus of the Himalayan district ( Palaearctic region ) . 



f Judging from external characters alone, I am inclined to consider the Australian 

 genus Aphalocephala Oberholser {Xerophila Gould) a member of the Paridse. A 

 related Australian genus or subgenus, Sphenosloma Gould, I have not been able to 

 examine. Cerihiparus Lafresnaye, of New Zealand, I certainly would exclude. 



