COAL TIT. 441 



inch and a half long ; the stomach, d ef, roundish, compressed, 

 five twelfths of an inch in length ; the intestine, fg h ij, four 

 inches and three fourths long, the diameter of the duodenal 

 portion a twelfth and a half. The oesophagus is of uniform 

 width, its diameter one twelfth of an inch, the proventriculua 

 little larger ; the posterior muscle of the stomach is longer than 

 the anterior, the lower muscle distinct, and the inner coat 

 longitudinally rugous ; the coeca, ^, only half a twelfth long. 



The plumage is blended, being soft and tufty, the feathers 

 of ordinary length, excepting on the back, where they form a 

 downy bunch of extraordinary length, as in most of the other 

 species ; those on the upper part of the head rather compact 

 and glossy. The wings are semiovate, convex, rounded ; the 

 quills nineteen, slender, the secondaries rather short ; the first 

 quill about a third of the length of the fourth and fifth, which 

 are longest, the third and sixth very little shorter, the second 

 three -twelfths of an inch shorter than the third ; the third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth slightly cut out externally. The wings 

 when closed reach to the middle of the tail, which, on account 

 of the comparative shortness of the rump feathers seems to 

 come off abruptly, and is longish, slender, a little emarginate, 

 of twelve narrow, rounded, slightly arched feathers. 



The bill is black, with the edges inclining to horn-colour. 

 The iris dusky. The feet and claws livid blue. The head and 

 neck are deep black, the former glossed with blue ; a patch of 

 white on each side covers the cheek and side of the neck, and 

 there is another on the back of the neck. The back is yellowish- 

 grey, its hind part brownish-yellow ; the breast and belly 

 greyish-white, shaded on the sides and behind into brownish- 

 yellow. The quills and tail are brownish-grey, the former mar- 

 gined externally with yellowish-grey, internally with greyish- 

 white ; the latter with greenish ; the secondary coverts and the 

 first row of small coverts tipped with greyish-white. The con- 

 cealed part of the plumage is blackish -blue. 



Length to end of tail 4^ inches ; extent of wings 7i% ; wing 

 from flexure 2/2 ^ tail l^i ; bill along the ridge y^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible -^\ ; tarsus i\ ; first toe y*^, its claw y% ; 

 second toe ^^^ its claw y% ; third toe {'^, its claw ^^ ; fourth 

 toe /g, its claw y'|. 



