PARUS SPILONOTUS, Blyth.
Spotted Tit.

Parus spilonotus, Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 103.—Ib. Jard. Contr. to Orn. 1852, p- 49.

pl. 87. fig. 2.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 228.—Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp.,
vol. ip: 371.

Machlolophus spilonotus, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p Ok

 

Ir is certain that this species is a native of Nepaul, if that country be not its exclusive habitat, for it is
from thence that all the specimens contained in the Collection at the British Museum, and in that of the
Kast India Company, have been sent by Mr. Hodgson, and which are the only examples I have yet seen.

In point of affinity this species is allied both to the P. vanthogenys and the P. Jerdoni; but it differs
from both in the much deeper yellow of the cheeks and eye-streak, and in the yellow extending across the
forehead and forming a band at the base of the bill; the guttations or oblong spotting of the back will,
moreover, serve to distinguish it from either of the species above mentioned; the crest is also somewhat
larger, and the yellow patch at the nape more conspicuous ; the secondaries are not so perceptibly fringed
with greyish-white, and the series of grey spots which occur on the shoulders are not found in the other
species.

No marked difference occurs in the colouring of the sexes.

At present this species is extremely rare in the collections of Europe.

Lores, cheeks, sides of the neck, superciliary stripe and a patch at the nape rich yellow; crown, crest
and remainder of the head glossy black; back and scapularies black, with a streak of dull olive-yellow down
the apical portion of each feather ; rump and upper tail-coverts dark greyish-olive ; wings black, the lesser
coverts tipped with grey, the greater with white; base of the primaries margined externally with white for
a short distance forming a small patch, and narrowly edged from the middle to the end with white ;
secondaries narrowly edged with blue-grey, and tipped with white; tail black, the apical three-fourths of
the external feather on each side, and the tips of the whole white; chin, chest and centre of the abdomen
black; flanks pale yellow, passing into greyish-yellow below ; bill black ; feet bluish-grey. 2

The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life on an Indian plant, the name of which is unknown

to me.