PARUS. ue 
and ear-coverts white ; the upper part of the back next the nape 
white; remainder of back, rump, scapulars, lower and median 
coverts ashy grey ; winglet and greater coverts black, edged with 
ashy grey and the latter broadly tipped with white ; quills dark 
brown, the earlier primaries and inner secondaries edged with white, 
the other quills with ashy grey; upper tail-coverts deep ashy 
blue: tail black, the four median pairs of feathers ashy grey on the 
outer webs and all but the middle two pairs tipped with white ; 
fifth pair white, with the shaft black and a band of black on the 
inner web; outer pair nearly entirely white with black shafts ; 
sides of the breast and abdomen vinaceous ; under tail-coverts 
black in the centre, white at the sides. 
Fig. 20.—Head of P. m. cinereus. 
Colours of soft parts. Bill black ; iris brown ; legs and feet 
plumbeous. 
Measurements. Total length about 140 mm.; wing 60 to 65 mm. ; 
tail 53 to 61 mm.; tarsus about 15 mm.; culmen about 10 min. 
The young of this and all the allied grey forms have a tinge of 
yellow on the lower parts and generally a good deal of green on 
the upper. 
Distribution. Northern India, Assam, Western Burma to 
Sunda Island and Java. 
Nidification. Breeds throughout its range but at different 
times in different localities from March to June. The nest is 
placed in a hole of a tree, wall or, more rarely, in a bank and 
consists of a pad of moss, hair, wool or fur: occasionally with 
some vegetable cotton and feathers. Wickham reports that it 
took readily to nest-boxes placed Jow down on trunks of trees in 
his garden at Maymyo. The eggs, four to six in number in 
India, three or four only in Burma, are white or very pale pink 
with spots and specks of reddish brown. ‘They average about 
17:0 x 13°3 mm. 
Habits. Though not gregarious in the strict sense of the term, 
these little birds are very sociable and may often bé seen con- 
sorting in small parties in favourite feeding-haunts. They are 
restless, active little birds, clambering about branches and twigs 
in their search for insects, now hanging head downmost to reach 
some tempting morsel below, now standing on tip-toe to get to 
one above them and then once more seuttling round to catch 
some quickly moving ant or spider. They feed on all kinds o 
