Genus Parus. Linnæus, Syst. Nat. I. p. 340, (1766.)
Parus septentrionalis. Harris, Proc. Acad. Philada., II. p. 300,
(1845.)
Form. The largest species of typical Parus yet discovered in America.
Wing with the fifth primary longest; tail, long, somewhat fan-shaped;
tarsi and toes, rather strong; claws, large, flattened, sharp.
Dimensions. Total length (of skins) 5½ to 6 inches; wing, 2¾; tail, 2¾
to 3 inches.
Colors. Head above and space on the throat, black; cheeks and sides of
the neck white, the latter color nearly meeting on the back of the neck.
Entire plumage above cinereous with a brownish tinge, plumage beneath
only white, with touches of yellowish brown on the sides and flanks.
Quills edged externally with white, outer tail-feathers edged also with
the same color, which on the external feather occupies the entire outer
web. Bill and feet dark.
Hab. Missouri and Utah, Rocky mountains. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.,
and Nat. Coll. Washington.
Obs. This is the largest American species of the genus Parus (as
restricted by late naturalists), and is particularly remarkable for its
lengthened tail. It is a distinct and well-marked species, related to
_P. atricapillus_ and _P. carolinensis_, but easily distinguished from
either by the characters above mentioned.
QUERQUEDULA CYANOPTERA.—Vieill.
The Red-breasted Teal.
PLATE XV.—Male and Female.
This handsomely colored and elegant little Teal, is of frequent
occurrence in Western America, though first noticed as a North American
species in Louisiana, by E. Pilaté, M. D., a physician and naturalist,
residing at Opelousas in that State. In a communication to us
accompanying one of the first specimens obtained by him and intended for
the collection of the Philadelphia Academy, that gentleman mentions
having occasionally seen it in company with other species of ducks, but
regards its appearance as unusual in Louisiana. The specimen alluded to,
which is that of a male in very fine spring plumage, is now in the
collection of the society mentioned. According to Dr. Pilaté, who has
paid much attention to Natural History, this bird associates with other
small species of water-birds, and appears to possess, in the migrating
season, similar habits, and frequents the same places of resort, though
rather unusually shy and vigilant.
Our valued friends Capt. Howard Stansbury, of the U. S. Topographical
Engineers, in his able Report of a Survey of the valley of the Great
Salt Lake of Utah, and Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian
Institution, in a valuable Zoological appendix to that Report, allude to
this Duck as commonly met with in Utah, and especially in the vicinity
of the Great Salt Lake. It was observed frequenting the rivers and small
streams. The collection brought home by Capt. Stansbury containing many
objects of the highest interest and scientific value, which are
described with his usual great accuracy in Prof. Baird’s Appendix, is
now in the National Museum at Washington city. The specimens of the
present bird were obtained in the river Jordan, a stream emptying into
the Lake, and so named by the settlers in that region, who are
principally of the religious denomination of Mormons.
[Illustration: Plate 15
The Red-breasted Teal
Querquedula cyanoptera (_Vieillo_)]
It visits South America in the course of its winter migration, and is
frequently to be met with in the western countries of that portion of
this continent. The extensive collection in all departments of Natural
History made by the party under the command of Lieut. J. M. Gilliss, of
the U. S. Navy, during the performance of several years’ duty in making
geographical explorations and astronomical observations in Chili and
other countries of South America, by order of government, and which is
now a portion of the National Museum, contains numerous specimens of the
bird now before us. We have seen it, in fact, in all the various
collections from western South America that have recently come under our
notice.
Dr. Woodhouse represents this species as very abundant in western Texas
and New Mexico. (Sitgreaves’ Report, Zoology, p. 103.)