PARUS JERDONI, By.

Jerdon’s Tit.

Parus Jerdoni, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xxv. p. 445.
vanthogenys, Jerdon in Madras Journ. of Lit. and Sci., vol. xi. p. 7.

 

 

Mr. Bryrn was quite correct when he described this species as distinct from Parus xanthogenys and
P. spilonotus ; for although nearly allied to both those birds, and particularly to the former, it presents
several characters by which it may be distinguished: it is more robust in form, has a smaller amount of
yellow colouring on the cheeks, and is destitute of the yellow superciliary stripe, in lieu of which a small
yellow mark commences some distance behind the eye, and extends backwards to the nape; in P. vantho-
genys, too, the yellow of the face and under surface predominates over the black, while precisely the reverse
occurs in P. Jerdoni, where the black mark, occupying the throat, chest and centre of the abdomen, is broad
and very conspicuous, and where the yellow is suffused with greyish-olive, and is consequently not so
bright ; the primaries, secondaries and wing-coverts in P. Jerdoni are jet-black, and the spots at their tips
are small and white.

My collection contains examples of both sexes, and also a young bird; which latter differs from the
adult in the absence of the deep colouring of the centre of the abdomen, that part bemg dark olive-grey,
like the same part in the young Parus major, which this bird more nearly equals in size than either
P. xanthogenys or P. spilonotus.

While Parus vanthogenys and P. spilonotus are inhabitants of the southern slopes of the great Himalayan
range, the present species, on the other hand, is a native of the Peninsula of India, where it enjoys a range
extending from the latitude of Bombay to that of Cape Comorin; throughout this vast extent of country it
is to be found in every district of a hilly character suited to its habits, and particularly in the Neilgherries.

The following brief note by Mr. Jerdon comprises all the information hitherto recorded respecting the
bird here figured :—

“This species is also an inhabitant of the Neilgherries, but I only observed it in the warmer parts, eli
the edges of the hills. I have hitherto observed it in no other locality, but it Is mentioned in hee Elhiott’s
and Col. Sykes’s Catalogues. Food and habits like those of Parus atriceps. Irides light brown.

I cannot conclude this account without recording my obligations to Major Hutt, for the examples of this

i i ted to me by him.
ee con, crest, sides of the neck, chin, throat, breast and centre of the abdomen

elossy jet-black ; stripe behind each eye, cheeks, sides of the breast, and a patch on the nape beneath the
5 ’

crest, fine yellow; upper surface olive-green, washed with dark gre
the greater coverts with a variable-shaped spot at the tip of each ;

coverts margined with olive-green,
primaries white at the base, and narrowly edged from the middle to near the end of the external webs, and
3

tipped with white ; secondaries tipped, and the two nearest the body broadly edged with white; tail
’ ets 8
slaty-black, the external web of the outer feather and the tips of the whole white; flanks dull greyish olive
green; bill black; feet bluish-grey.
The young differs in having all the tints much paler,
The Plate represents both sexes of the natural size,

y on the rump; wings black, the lesser

and the throat and chest olive instead of black.
on the Lvora rosea of Dr. W allich.