392 
U. S. P. R. R ESP AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
PARUS MERIDION ALIS, S c 1 a t e r . 
Mexican Titmouse. 
Parus meridionalis, Sclater, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1856, 293 .—Ib. 1857, 81. (El Jacale, Mex.) 
Sp. Ch. —Generally similar to P. atricapillus. Tail nearly even ; second quill rather shorter than the secondaries ; first not 
quite half as long as second. Head and neck above and below black ; their sides white ; rest of upper parts soiled ash ; beneath 
a rather paler tint of the same ; lighter, almost whitish, along the middle of the belly, and behind the black of the throat. No 
whitish on the wing coverts or tail feathers. The quills edged externally with dull bluish white, most conspicuous on the inner¬ 
most. Length, 5.00 ; wing, 2.60 ; tail, 2.45. 
Hah —Eastern Mexico. 
This species appears to he perfectly distinct from any of the North American titmice, as 
shown by the examination of the typical specimen, received from Mr. Gould. The size of body 
and character of wing and tail are much as in P. atricapillus , from which it differs in the entire 
absence of whitish edgings on the coverts and tail feathers. The extreme outer edge of the 
outer tail feather indeed is of a very dull whitish, hut even this is not seen on the others. 
There is almost no white on the under parts, which are of the same shade with the back, only 
paler, and with a lightening along the median line. There is nothing of the reddish brown or 
rusty whitish wash on the side seen in nearly all the North American titmice. The second and 
third quills are decidedly shorter than in atricapillus. 
In the absence of light edgings to the wing coverts, and in their reduction to a minimum on 
the quills and tail feathers, there is a close resemblance to P. carolinensis. This, however, has 
more whitish on the edges of quills and tail feathers, and the under parts are tinged with a 
very pale reddish brown, instead of the decided soiled ash of the other. The proportions of 
the quills are similar. 
From P. occidentalis this species differs in the ashy tinge of the under parts, instead of the 
rather deep reddish brown, these colors in both encroaching greatly on the median whitish so 
conspicuous in the other species. The tail feathers are not so black, nor have they nor the quills 
edgings quite so light. The tail is more nearly even. 
List of specimens. 
♦ Catal. No. 
Locality. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
10203 
A. Sail(5. 
PARUS CAROLINENSIS, Audubon. 
Carolina Titmouse. 
Parus carolinensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 341 : V, 474 ; pi. 160.— 1b. Birds Am. II, 1841, 152 ; pi. 127 .—Cassin, 
Illust. 1, 1853, 17. 
Poecila carolinensis, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, 230. 
Sp, Ch. —Second quill appreciably longer than secondaries. Tail very little rounded. Length about 4.50 inches ; wing less 
than 2.50 ; tail 2.40. Back brownish ash. Head above, and throat, black, separated on sides of head by white. Beneath 
white ; brownish white on sides. Outer tail feathers, primaries, and secondaries, not edged with white. 
Hah .—South Atlantic States to Washington. 
This species is very similar to the P. atricapillus, hut is smaller. The first quill, as in all the 
titmice, is spurious ; the fourth and fifth are equal; the sixth a little shorter than the thiid 
