Bill short, stout; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly decurved toward the end, the edges overlapping, with a slight lobe or festoon near the base, destitute of notch, rather acute; lower mandible with the dorsal outline slightly convex, the edges direct, the tip rather acute. Nostrils roundish, covered by bristly feathers. Head rather large, roundish; neck short. Feet proportionally large; tarsus of moderate length; hind toe very large and strong, the two lateral nearly equal, the outer adherent at the base; claws large, much compressed, very acute. Wings of moderate length, convex. Tail long, or of moderate length, rounded or graduated, of twelve rather narrow feathers.
125. 1. Parus bicolor, Linn. Tufted Titmouse.--Crested Titmouse. Great Chicadee.
Bill very stout; feathers of the upper part of the head elongated into a crest; tail long, slightly rounded; upper parts leaden-blue, forehead black, lower parts greyish-white, the sides light red.
From Texas, where it breeds, to the Fur Countries, generally distributed eastward of the Rocky Mountains. Resident in the middle, southern, and western districts. Abundant.
Crested Titmouse, Parus bicolor, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 187.
Tufted Titmouse, Parus bicolor, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 236.
Crested Titmouse, Parus bicolor, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 199; v. v. p. 472.
126. 2. Parus atricapillus, Linn. Black-cap Tit.--Black-cap Titmouse, or Chicadee.
Plate CCCLIII. Fig. 3. Male. Fig. 4. Female.
Bill moderately stout; tail long, emarginate, and rounded. Upper part of the head and hind neck, with a large patch on the fore neck, black; cheeks and sides of the neck white; back yellowish-grey; quills and tail-feathers dark greyish-brown, margined with bluish-white; the secondaries broadly edged with white; lower parts pale yellowish-red, the breast white.
From Maryland eastward and northward to Lat. 65°. In Kentucky during winter. Never in the southern parts.
Black-capt Titmouse, Parus atricapillus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 134.
Black-capt Titmouse, Parus atricapillus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 374.
127. 3. Parus Carolinensis, Aud. Carolina Tit.
Bill very short, moderately stout; tail rather long, emarginate, and rounded. Upper part of the head and hind neck, with a large patch on the fore neck, black; cheeks and sides of the neck greyish-white; back yellowish-grey; quills and tail-feathers dark greyish-brown, margined with bluish-white, secondaries not conspicuously; lower parts greyish-white, tinged with yellow. This species is very similar to the last, but much inferior in size.