428 



BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



CRESTED TIT. 



TIT, CRESTED. 



(Partis cristatus.) 

 Order PASSERES ; Family PARID^E (TITMICE). 



Description of Parent Birds. 

 -Length about four and a half 

 inches ; bill short, straight, and 

 almost black. Irides hazel. 

 The feathers on the top of the 

 head, especially behind, are 

 lengthened, and form a con- 

 spicuous crest ; these feathers 

 are dull black in colour, tipped 

 with light grey ; back, wings, 

 rump, and tail brown, the quills 

 being somewhat darker. A 

 black streak runs from the base of the beak to 

 the eye, and passes onward between the base of 

 the crest and the ear-coverts to the nape, 

 whence a broader black, curving line descends 

 behind the cheeks and ends abruptly on the sides 

 of the neck. Cheeks white, spotted with black. 

 The black line just described is followed beneath 

 by a broader band of white, which in turn gives 

 place to a narrower curving black line, descend- 

 ing from the back of the head, and, passing in front 

 of the point or shoulder of the wing, joins the black 

 on the upper breast ; chin, throat, and upper breast 

 black ; lower breast, belly, and flanks dull white, 

 suffused with buff on the sides ; under tail-coverts 

 dull buff ; legs, toes, and claws lead-grey. 



The female resembles the male, except that her 

 crest is shorter, and the black on her chin, throat, 

 and upper breast occupies less space. 



