MiDicJiester Memoirs, Vol. I. (1906), No. 13. 5 



a. P. I'lifoiuichaiis rufomicJialis Blyth. 



b. P. rufonucJialis beavani (Jerdon). 



3. Parus melanoloplms Vigors. 



4. Parus ater Linn, with ii sub-species. 



a. P. ater britamiicus Sharpe & Dresser. 



b. P. ater Cypriotes Dresser. 



c. P. ater ater Linn. 



d. P. ater instdaris Hellmayr. 



e. P. ater pekinensis David. 



f. P. ater inichalozvskii Bogd. 



g. P. ater atlas Meade- Waldo. 



h. P. ater pJiaconotus W. Blanford. 

 i. P. ater aemodius Hodgson. 

 k. P. ater riifipectus Severtzoff. 

 /. P. ater ledotici Malh. 



Mr. Hellmayr places P. riifipectus, Severtz, and P. 

 aemodius, Hodgs., in the same section, on account of the 

 ochre-yellow or pale cinnamon colour of the under surface, 

 distinguishing the latter by its smaller size and long crest 

 In P. aemodius the crest-feathers are certainly abnormally 

 developed for a member of the genus Parus. 



P. rufipectus, Severtz. Of this species I examined 

 several specimens on my last visit to the British Museum, 

 from the Seebohm and Menzbier collections. In the 

 same year (1873), Severtzoff gave two names to this 

 species, Panes piceae and P. ater var. rufipectus. The 

 former of these, being a nomen nudum, has been dis- 

 allowed by subsequent authorities, and the name of 

 rufipectus insisted upon. This method is perfectly correct, 

 but in one respect it is to be regretted, as rufipectus does 

 not invariably convey the impression of the colour of the 

 bird's breast, which has often nothing especially rufous 

 about it. A specimen from Thian Shan shews a faint 



