504 Birds of Colorado 
Description.—Adult—Ashy-grey throughout, duskier on the wings 
and tail ; a good deal paler on the under-parts ; head strongly crested ; 
iris brown, bill dusky-brown, legs dusky. Length 5-0; wing 2-75; 
tail 2-25; culmen -40; tarsus -72. 
The sexes are alike; the young birds closely resemble the adults, 
but the crest is not quite so long, and the upper-parts are a shade more 
olivaceous. 
Distribution.—The drier south-western districts of the United States, 
from Colorado and Nevada to western Texas and south-east California. 
In Colorado the Grey Titmouse is a rather uncommon resident through- 
out the year, more or less confined to the upper Sonoran zone of pifions 
and cedars, between 5,000 and 8,000 feet. On the east of the range 
it has been observed in Fremont and El Paso cos. by Aiken, and is 
represented in his collection by examples taken in April and October. 
West of the range there are many more records, viz., Douglas Spring, 
Routt co., June (Warren), Grand Junction, November (Rockwell), 
Coventry, April (Warren), San Juan co., September (Drew), Fort Lewis 
(Morrison). It doubtless breeds, but no details have yet been given. 
Habits.—Henshaw tells us that the Grey Titmouse 
is generally found in the groves of pifion and scrub cedars 
in the northern part of its range, but in the south, in 
Arizona, it often frequents oak scrub ; it is never found 
in pine-woods. It spends much of its time on the ground 
looking for insects, and has a harsh, scolding note, with, 
in summer, a short, disconnected, though somewhat 
pleasing song. It is gregarious in winter, but after 
January, according to Aiken, is found singly. Its nesting 
habits, so far as I am aware, have never been described, 
but it almost certainly builds, in holes in trees or stumps, 
a nest of felted material and feathers, and lays six to 
eight white eggs like its Pacific coast congener, the 
Plain Titmouse (8. inornatus). 
Genus PENTHESTES. 
Head not crested ; bill more slender and less stout ; wings and tail 
approximately equal; crown and throat always black. 
About twelve species from the northern parts of the Old and New 
Worlds. 
