BIRDS OF KORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 379 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF PAEID^. 



a. Exposed culmen equal to or longer than inner toe without claw; basal phalanx 

 of middle toe adherent for entire length to inner toe, for about half its length 

 to outer toe; tarsus much less than twice as long as middle toe without claw. 

 b. Bill with either the culmen or gonys (usually both) distinctly convex, its tip 

 not acute; ninth primary shorter than third, not more than twice as long as 

 tenth; rictal bristles distinct. (Subfamily Parinse.a) 

 c. Head crested, 

 d. Bill slender, its depth at base equal to not more than half its length; tail 

 emarginate; longer feathers of crest recurved terminally. 



lophophanes (extralimital) ^ 



dd. Bill very stout, its depth at base equal to more than half the length of 



exposed culmen; tail more or less rounded; longer feathers of crest not 



recurved terminally Beeolophus (p. 380) 



cc. Head without crest. 

 d. Antrorse latero-frontal plumules shorter, only partiall}' covering nostrils; 

 outer side of planta tarsi divided in middle; larger (wing more than 70 

 mm. ) ; a glossy blue-black band across side of neck connecting the simi- 

 larly colored vertical and gular areas; under parts olive-yellow with 

 black median stripe; wings and tail dull blue, the former with a yellow- 

 ish band. (Palsearctic. ) Parns (extralimital) « 



dd. Antrorse latero-frontal plumules longer, forming a distinct tuft completely 

 covering and overreaching nostrils; outer side of planta tarsi not divided 

 in middle; smaller (wing usually much less than 70 mm.); no black 

 band across side of neck, but black or brown vertical and gular ^reas 

 separated by a broad space of white or gray; under parts white medially, 

 gray, brown, buffy, or rufescent laterally; wings and tail dusky, with 

 gray or whitish edgings, the former without light-colored band. (Cir- 



cumpolar. ) Penthestea (p. 394) 



bb. Bill with both culmen and gonys nearly straight, its tip acute; ninth primary 

 not shorter than fourth, more than-twice as long as tenth; rictal bristles obso- 

 lete. (Subfamily RemizinseA) Auriparus (p. 419) 



aa. Exposed culmen much shorter than inner toe, without claw; basal phalanx 

 of middle toe adherent for decidedly less than its entire length to inner toe, 

 but for its entire length to outer toe; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe 

 without claw. (Subfamily Psaltriparinse. «) Psaltriparus (p. 423) 



a See p. 377. 



6 Lophophanes Kaup, Entw. Gesch. Eur. Thierwelt, 1829, 92. (Type, Farus cris- 

 latus Linnaeus. ) 



"Parus Linnaeus, Syst> Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, 189. (Type, by elimination, P. major 

 Linnaeus. ) I shall not here include other Palsearctic groups ( Oyanistes Kaup, type 

 Parus cyaneus; Periparus Selys-Longchamps, type P. ater; Sittiparus Selys-Long- 

 champs, type P. varius, etc.), 



(« See p. 377, « Seep, 378. 



