THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 257 



centre of mantle occasionally with a few black streaks, very rarely 

 with a number of black streaks) ; scapulars white basally with 

 cream-coloured tips ; upper tail-coverts like rump but with bases 

 rose-coloured, extent of latter varying considerably ; ear-coverts 

 pale ash-grey ; lores, extending slightly over eye, and broad mou- 

 stachial stripe black (feathers of " moustache " long and lanceo- 

 late) ; chin, throat and centre of breast white, latter tinged ash- 

 grey ; sides of base of neck and sides of breast tinged rose ; centre 

 of belly creamj^-Avhite ; flanks taA\aiy ; under tail-coverts black ; 

 axillaries and under wing-coverts cream-colour ; tail tawny- 

 chestnut, tips slightly marked blackish, central pair more yellowish 

 than rest, outer pair Avith outer web and tip of inner dusky-white 

 and rest of inner web and base black, next pair with distal half of 

 outer web dusky-white ; primaries black-broAvn inner Avebs fringed 

 white, 3rd to 7th Avith conspicuous white margins to outer AA'ebs, 

 rest with yellowish-taAAOiy margins ; secondaries with margins 

 of outer webs taAvny, rest of outer Avebs becommg black on inner 

 secondaries and inner AA^ebs of these feathers becoming creamy- 

 white, innermost secondary entirely crcaniy-Avhite ; primary- 

 coA'erts black Avith most of outer Avebs AA'hite ; greater and median 

 coA^erts black fringed and tipped taAAaiy ; lesser coverts ash-grey 

 tipped yelloAvish-taAvny. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult in autunm. Summer. — No moult and scarcely any change 

 in coloration by abrasion, but tail soon becomes \^ery ragged. 



Adult female. Winter and summer. — Fore-head, croAvn and 

 nape yelloAAish-broAvn, sometimes Avithout and sometimes with 

 varying number of broAAaiish-black streaks on croAAai ; mantle, 

 back, and rump as male, but more yelloAvish, not so reddish-taAAiiy, 

 and usually Avith some broAAii-black streaks ; ear-coA^erts pale 

 broAATi ; lores and moustachial region dusky-Avhite (not black as 

 male ; feathers of moustachial region someAA'hat elongated and 

 occasionally Avith blackish shaft-streaks) ; base of neck and sides 

 of breast occasionally Avith a slight rose tinge ; flanks paler and more 

 yelloAAdsh-taAviiy than in male ; imder tail-coA^erts as flanks (not 

 black as in male) ; rest of plumage like male but tail and edgings of 

 secondaries and Aving-co verts paler and duller and lesser coverts 

 not so grey. 



Nestling. — Doaah absent. Mouth inside yelloAv with a number 

 of AA'hite spots on palate and tongue. 



Juvenile.— Crowii, nape, and hind-neck A'elloAAish-buff, sides 

 of croAvn occasionally Avith blackish streaks ; scapulars Aery pale 

 yelloAv-buff Avith a few dark shaft-streaks ; centre of mantle and 

 back black, loAver fea,thers of back with buff tips ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts yelloAvish-buff ; lores dusky ; chin, centre of throat, 

 breast and belly A^ery pale yelloAvish-buff, restof under-parts deeper, 

 more taAviiy buff ; tail : centre pair pale buff often Avith black 

 shaft-line at tip, next pair mixture of black and buff, rest black with 

 buff bases, outermost pair with tip and distal half of outer web 



S 



