262 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 
Obs. According to Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Club, vi, 1881, p. 101, the two foregoing are adult (No. 37) and young 
(No. 38) of the same species, which \&plumbea, Bd., Pr. Phila. Acad., 1854, p. 118; B. N. A., 1858, p. 382, and authors; 
melanura, Lawr., Ann. Lyc. N. Y., vi, 1856, p. 168, but not of authors referring to the Californian bird : also, atri- 
capilla, Lawr., Ann. Lyc. N. Y., v, 1851, p. 124; Cass., 111., 1854, pi. 27, but not of Swainson. Brewster describes 
the Californian bird as a new species, as follows: — P. californica. California Black-capped Gnat-catcher, 
(f : As compared with P. plumbea, upper parts decidedly plumbeous instead of bluish ; throat, breast, and sides dull 
ashy instead of ashy-white ; lower belly and crissum fulvous or even pale chestnut ; light edging of the tail-feathers 
confined to outer pair, with sometimes slight tipping of next pair (as in my fig. 134, c.) ; lining of wings pearly-ash, 
not white; secondaries and tertials edged with light brown. No pure white anywhere; general aspect of under 
parts nearly as dark as those of a cat-bird. Whole crown glossy black. Length 4.50 ; extent 6.10; wing 1.84; tail 
1.80; tarsus 0.73; bill 0.50. $: Similar, but no black on crown; belly and crissum pale chestnut; outer webs of 
second pair of rectrices edged with white. California ; being the melanura of authors referring to California birds, 
but not of Lawr., 1856. 
2. Family CHAM.iEID^ : Wren-tits. 
Recently framed for a single species, much like a titmouse in general appearance, but 
with the tarsus not evidently scutellate in front ; rounded wings much shorter than the gradu- 
ated tail ; lores bristly, and plumage extraordinarily soft and lax. With the general habits of 
wrens, with which the species was formerly associated. The position and valuation of the 
group are still uncertain; probably to be determined upon anatomical characters. I have 
little doubt that Chamcea will yet be found referable to some other recognized family of birds, 
and suspect that it might be assigned to the Old World Twieliidce, with at least as much 
propriety as some other American groups, which have lately been relegated to that ill-assorted 
assemblage. 
12. CHAM.^'A. (Gr. x^l^^h chamai, on the ground.) Wren-tits. Form and general aspect 
combining features of wrens and titmice. Plumage extraordinarily lax, soft, and full. Color- 
ation simple. Tarsal scutella obsolete, or faintly indicated, at least outside. Toes coherent at 
base for about half the length of the proximal joint of the middle one. Soles widened and 
padded, much as in Paridce. Primaries 10, the 6th longest, the 3d equal to the longest sec- 
ondaries, the 1st about three-fifths as long as the longest ; wiug thus extremely rounded, and 
much shorter than the tail (about two-thirds as long). Tail very long, constituting more 
than half the entire length of the bird, extremely graduated, with soft, narrow feathers, widen- 
ing somewhat toward their tips, rounded at the end, the lateral pair not two-thirds as long as 
the middle. Bill much shorter than head, very deep at the base, straight, stout, compressed- 
conical, not notched, with ridged and very convex culmen, but nearly straight commissure 
and gonys; naked, scaled, linear nostrils, and strongly bristled gape. Frontal feathers reaching 
nasal fossae, but no ruff concealing the nostrils as in Paridce. 
39. C. faseia'ta. (Lat. fasciata, striped ; fascis, a bundle of faggots.) Wren-tit. Adult : 
Dark brown with an olive shade, the top of the head clearer and somewhat streaky, the wings 
and tail purer brown, obscurely fasciated with numerous cross-bars; below, dull cinnamon- 
brown, paler on belly, shaded with olive-brown on the sides and crissum, the throat and 
breast obscurely streaked with dusky ; bill and feet brown ; iris white. Length about 6.00 ; 
wing 2.25-2.50 ; tail 3.25-3.50, much graduated, the lateral feathers being an inch or more 
shorter than the middle ones; bill 0.40; tarsus 0.90-1.00; middle toe and claw 0.75. First 
primary nearly an inch shorter than the longest one. California coast region. A remarkable 
bird, resembling no other, common in shrubbery ; nest in bushes ; eggs plain greenish-blue, 
0.70 X 0.52. 
39a. C. f. hen'sliawi. (To H. W. Henshaw.) Henshaw's Wren-tit. Much lighter and duller 
colored; above, grayish-ash with slight olive shade (about the color of a Lophophmies) ; below, 
scarcely rufescent upon a soiled whitish ground, shaded on the sides with the color of the back; 
bill and feet smaller. Interior of California, and probably adjoining regions ; seems to be 
a well-marked form. (Not in the Check List, 1882; see Ridgway, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v., 
1882, p. 13.) 
