84 PARIDiE, 



thick, over which is pLaced n, mass of fur, hair or wooh The eggs 

 number from four to ten and are white with spots of bright 

 brownish red. Typically they are longer ovals than are the eggs 

 of the genus Panis and one hundred eggs average 15-7 x il"7 mm. 

 They are said to generally rear two broods. 



Habits. This little Tit is extremely common over the Western 

 Himalayas, being found up to 12,00(3 feet in summer and down to 

 2,000 feet in winter, perhaps even lower. It goes about in flocks 

 of some dozen or more birds and is very partial to oak forest when 

 not too thick. It is said by Adams often to associate with 

 C'q:)hcdoj)yrnsJIamniicej:is. 



(64) Lophophanes ater aemodius. 

 The Himalaya>'^ Cole-Tit. 



Parus (emodius Ilodjr.s., Blyth, J. A. S. B., xiii, p. 943 (1844) (Nepal). 

 Lophophaitcs aviodhts. Blauf, & Gates, i, p. 58. 



Vernacular names. JN'one recorded. 



Description. Forehead, crown, crest, lores, sides of the head 

 and nape, chin, throat and sides of the neck black; cheeks, ear- 

 coverts and a nape-patch white ; upper plumage and exposed parts 

 of wings and tail bluish ashy ; the rump tinged with ferruginous ; 

 the median and greater coverts tipped with white, forming two 

 wing-bars ; the inner and a few of the outer secondaries minutely 

 tipped with white ; lower plumage, axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts ferruginous. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; legs leaden grey ; bill 

 black (Blanford). 



Measurements. Total length about 105 mm., wing 50 to 61 mm. ; 

 tail about 40 mm. ; tarsus about 17 mm. ; culmen about 6 mm. 



Distribution. Nepal and Sikkim. It extends into the South of 

 Tibet as I have had a skin sent me of a bird caught on the nest in 

 the Chatnbi A^alley. 



Nidification. A bird sent me with some eggs was caught on its 

 nest in a hole of an oak-tree at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet 

 elevation. The nest was all of rat fur, a well matted pad fitting 

 into the bottom of the hollow. The eggs are indistinguishable 

 from those of the European Cole-Tit and measure about 17'0 x 

 12'9 mm. The nest was taken on the 13th June. 



Habits. This is a bird of high elevation from 6,000 feet upwards, 

 ascending as high as 12,000 feet at least. 



(65) Lophophanes rubidiventris. 



The Rufous-bellied Crested Tit. 



Parus rubidiventris Blyth, J. A, S. B., xvi, p. 445 (1847) (Nepal). 

 Lophophcmes rubidiventris. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 58. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



