12 
ZOOLOGY. 
procured in Mexico, still is it an interesting bird to us from the fact of its having been pre¬ 
viously found in Texas. Its food consists of berries and fruits when in season, or of insects or 
their larvae, and worms, which are collected among the trees or from the ground, on which it 
spends much of its time. 
LOPHOPHANES ATRICRISTATUS, 0 a s s i n .-Black-crested Chicadee. 
Lophophancs atricristatus, Cassin, Illus. B. of Tex. and Cal. p. 13, pi. 3.— Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 385, p. G9. 
Pants atricristatus, Cassin, Proceed. Ac. N. Sc. Phil. vol. V, p. 103, pi. 2. 
Sp. Ch.— Male. —Front and chin white; under parts ashy white; lighter from the belly to vent. Cheeks gray. Crest black. 
Back slaty gray. Wings and tail brown, the latter formed of twelve feathers. Flanks and sides have a feruginous tinge. Bill 
and legs black. Length five and a half inches. 
Female, —Slightly smaller than male. Crest brownish black. 
This bird, discovered in, and brought back from Texas by Dr. Woodhouse, while with Captain 
Sitgreaves’ expedition to the Zuni and Colorado rivers, was first observed by me near Fort 
Clark, Texas, where it was quite an abundant species. It is active and sprightly in its move¬ 
ments, searching with great assiduity for insects about the bark and branches of trees. While 
thus employed it keeps up a chattering note, varied with an occasional low plaintive whistle. 
Its habits much resemble those of our common chicadee, (Parus atricapillus.) The sub-family 
of the Parinae is found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Their usual resort is in 
the woods, and their habits, as above described, ceaselessly active, examining with care every 
crack in the bark, the under part of each leaf, and throwing themselves into every possible 
attitude while prosecuting their labors. They now and then vary their diet with grain, seeds, 
nuts, and rarely meat; sometimes, when urged by necessity, attacking and killing sickly birds 
by fracturing their skulls. The nest, made of grasses, feathers, wool, and mosses, and often 
containing from twelve to sixteen eggs, is generally built in the hollow of a tree, though some 
species construct them of a pendulous form, while others build a simple oval nest in the forks 
of two or more branches, having two holes for ingress or egress, or with a view to leave a con¬ 
venient place for the projection of the long tail with which some of these species are adorned. 
PEUCAEA CASSINII, Baird. 
Plate IV, Fig. 2. 
Zonotrichia cassinii, Woodhouse, Pr. A. N. Sc. YI. 1852, 60. 
Pcucaea cassinii, Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 1858, 485. 
Sp. Ch. —Upper parts reddish brown; the centre of the feathers of the back and head deep brown, their margins being bluish 
gray. Primaries and secondaries brownish, edged with dirty white. Flexure of wing, yellow’. Tail feathers, twelve in 
number, brown, tipped with grayish brown; the two outer and centre ones pale brown, the latter having a dark central line in 
their entire length and numerous little transverse bars. A narrow grayish yellow line from base of mandible over the eye. 
Throat and breast gray, with a short, sooty, narrow line from the base of lower mandible on each side. Breast and sides dirty 
gray. Belly, vent, and crissum dirty yellowish gray, some of the feathers of the latter having dark, longitudinal spots. Bill 
horn color, darker above. Feet flesh color. Length five and three-fourth inches. 
My attention having been attracted by the sound of a new note while at Camanche Spring, 
Texas, I found, after some observation, that it proceeded from this bird. Rising with a tremulous 
motion of its wings some twenty feet or more, it descends again in the same manner to within 
a few yards of the spot whence it started, accompanying its entire flight with a lengthened and 
pleasing song. The country thereabouts is very barren, being covered with low stunted bushes, 
into which the bird takes refuge on being alarmed, gliding rapidly through the grass and 
