PSALTRIA ERYTHROCEPHALA.
Red-headed Tit.

Parus erythrocephalus, Vigors in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., part 1. p. 22.—-Gould’s Centu
of Birds, pl. 30. fig. 1—Gray, Cat. of Spec. and Draw. of Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. cee
by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., p. 73.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 192, Parus, sp. ee
Hutton, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xvii. pt. 2. p. 689.

Orites erythrocephalus, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiii. p. 943.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc.
Calcutta, p. 104.—Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852, p. 51.—Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp.,
vol 1p. 374.

Poecila erythrocephalus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 230, Poecila, sp. 15.

Aigithaliscus erythrocephalus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Oscines, p. 90.

 

Since the publication of my ‘‘ Century of Birds,” in which this bird was first figured, from the only specimen
that had then reached this country, so many examples have been sent to Europe, that there are few collec-
tions in which it may not now be found. It is a native of the Sub-Himalayan range, over which, I believe,
it is very generally dispersed.
_ Captain Hutton states that it is “common at Mussooree and in the hills generally throughout the year.
It breeds in April and May. The situation chosen is various, as one taken in the former month at Mussooree,
at seven thousand feet elevation, was placed on the side of a bank among overhanging coarse grass, while
another taken in the latter month, at five thousand feet, was built among some ivy twining round a tree, and
at least fourteen feet from the ground. The nest is in shape a round ball, with a small lateral entrance, and
is composed of green mosses, warmly lined with feathers. The eggs are five in number, white with a
pinkish tinge, and sparingly sprinkled with lilac spots or specks, and having a wide defined lilac ring at the
larger end; diameter -S; in. Xe

The very trifling difference observable in the colouring of the numerous specimens I have examined, induces

the belief that the sexes are so similar as scarcely to be distinguished.

Forehead, crown and nape dark rusty-red ; lores, space around the eye, ear-coverts and sides of the neck

deep black; from the posterior upper angle of the eye a conspicuous stripe of white passes down between
and the black of the side of the neck; chin and sides of the throat white; in the centre

the red of the nape os
of the throat a large patch of black ; lower part of the throat buffy-white, passing into the pale rufous of the

abdomen ; back, wing- and tail-coverts grey 5
with buffy-white ; tail dark greyish-brown, the outer feather margined and tipped with white, the two next
on each side obliquely tipped with white; bill black; legs and feet yellowish flesh-colour.

The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the 4udromeda ovalifolia, Wall.

primaries and secondaries greyish-brown, margined internally