The only information that we have obtained relative to its history has been communicated to us by Samuel W. Woodhouse, M. D., who was attached, as surgeon and naturalist, to a party under the command of Captain Sitgreaves of the Topographical Engineers of the Army of the United States, which surveyed the rivers Zunia and the Colorado of the west, by order of the Government. Dr. Woodhouse has had the kindness to allow us to copy the following memoranda from his Journal, which will be published at an early period, with the Report made by Captain Sitgreaves to the Topographical Department, and will be an important contribution to the natural history of Texas and New Mexico: “While our party was encamped on the Rio Salado in Texas, near San Antonio, in March, 1851, I observed this handsome little chickadee for the first time. It was busily engaged in capturing insects among the trees on the bank of the stream, and like the other species of its family, was incessantly in motion and very noisy. At our camp at Quihi, on the eighth of May, I again found it very abundant among the oaks. The young males, which were then fully grown, much resembled the adult females, both wanting the black crest which characterizes the male. Afterwards I noticed this species, occurring sparingly, along our route, as far as the head waters of the San Francisco river in New Mexico. “I observed it almost entirely in trees bordering streams of water, the females and young males invariably having the crest of the same cinereous color as their general plumage, but in the latter slightly tinged with brown. It occurred in small parties, appeared to be very sociable and lively in its habits, and in general appearance and in nearly all its notes which I heard, it so very much resembled the common crested chickadee of the Northern States as scarcely to be recognized as a distinct species at a short distance.” The collection made by Dr. Woodhouse contains fine specimens of this bird, from a male and female of which, and from Mr. Audubon’s specimens, our plate has been prepared. We have represented both sexes about three-fourths of the natural size. The plant figured is the _Phlox Drummondii_, a beautiful species which is a native of New Mexico and California. DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS. Genus Lophophanes. Kaup Skiz. Entw. Eur. Thierw. (1829.) Lophophanes atricristatus. (Cassin.) Parus atricristatus. Cassin. Proc. Acad. Philada. Vol. V., p. 103, (Oct. 1850.) Form. With a high pointed crest, bill rather strong and acute. Wings long, with the fourth and fifth primaries longest, and nearly equal; tail rather long. Dimensions of a skin from Quihi, Texas. Total length, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 6 inches; wing 3; tail 2¾ inches.