PARUS MINO R, Temm. et Schlee.

Chinese Tit.

Parus nunor, Temm. and Schleg. Faun. Japonica, Aves, p. 70. pl. xxxill.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 229, Parus,
ep. 9.

 

 

Over what extent of habitat this well-defined species may range, will be for future ornithologists to determine,
when the great country of China has become more open to scientific investigation ; at present we only know
that the bird is a native of the districts in the neighbourhood of Shanghai and the Island of Japan, from
both of which countries I possess examples. Although somewhat smaller in size, it is evidently the repre-
sentative in China of the Parus major of Europe, from which it is distinguished by the total absence
of yellow on the flanks, and the greater amount of white on the outer tail-feathers, as it is from the Parus
cinereus of India by its yellow nape. MM. Temminck and Schlegel have given figures of this bird in the
volume “ Aves ” of Siebold’s interesting work on the Fauna of Japan, but afford us no information as to its
habits and economy; we may infer, however, that they resemble those of its near allies, which, as is well
known, obtain their insect food among the branches of thickly-foliaged trees; that they are pert, restless,
and active in their manners, and stationary or non-migratory.

The sexes appear to assimilate most closely in their colouring, which may be thus described :—

Crown of the head, nape, throat, band on the sides of the neck, chest, and an irregular mark down the
centre of the abdomen glossy bluish black ; cheeks and ear-coverts white ; centre of the back yellowish olive,
separated from the black of the nape by a mark of white ; scapularies, lower part of the back, and upper
tail-coverts blue-grey ; wing-coverts black, tipped with white, and margined with blue-grey; primaries and
secondaries slaty black, the former narrowly margined at the base with blue-grey, and towards the apex with
white, the latter more broadly with dull white ; sides of the chest and flanks creamy ; tail slaty black, mar-
the outer feather white, margined internally with brown, and the next on each side
: bill bluish black ; irides dark brown ; feet blackish blue.

Ss a species of Uvularia, copied from one of the fine collections

 

gined with blue-grey,
with a wedge-shaped mark of white at the tip

The figures are the size of life. The plant 1
of botanical drawings at the East India House.