74 



Japan. Southwards it extends to Palestine, Asia Minor and 

 Northern Persia. 



The second group, which we may call the Indian cinereus 

 group, is to be found through Southern Persia and North Arabia, 

 throughout India and in a loop working North, including Afghan- 

 istan, Syr Daria and Amu Daria in Turkestan, Tianschan and 

 Kashmir. East it is found through Burma and Southern China 

 and the countries South of them. Between these two distinct 

 groups we have more or less intermediate forms found in Tibet, 

 Northern Shan States, and Central Asia. 



"Within Indian limits we have no form approaching the 

 European Parus major major group, all our geographical races 

 belonging to the grey cinereus group. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. No green on back. 



a. Upper and lower plumage darker ; tail 



black on inner web with grey edge, and 

 all grey on outer web. Wing 60 to 

 68 mm., tail 53 to 61 mm P.m. cinereus, p. 74. 



b. Paler ; upper parts a pale clear blue-grey, 



under parts almost white, nuchal patch 



distinct and nearly white. Wing 68 to [p. 76. 



75 mm., tail 52 to 63 mm P.m. intermedius, 



c. Upper and lower parts darker, nuchal 



patch greyer and inconspicuous. 



a'. Larger ; wing 70 to 79 mm., tail 60 [p. 76. 



to 70 mm P. m. kaschmiriensis, 



b. Smaller; wing 63 to 70 mm., tail 52 4 [p. 77. 



to 63 mm ' P. m. plunorvm, 



d. Upper plumage as dark as cinereus ; tail 



black on both webs with narrow 



grey edges. Wing 63 to 74 mm., tail [p. 77. 



51 to 62 mm. P. m. mahrattarum, 



B. -Some green on upper plumage. 



e. Upper parts and scapulars all olive-green ; 



wing 66 to 79 mm., tail 66 to 74 mm. . . P. m. tibetanus, p ; 78. 

 f. Green confined to extreme upper back ; [p. 78. 



wing 61 to 68 mm., tail 53 to 61 mm. . . P. m. commixtus, 



(51) Parus major cinereus. 

 THE INDIAN GBEY TIT. 



Parus cinereus VieilL, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., xx, p. 316 (1818) 



(Java). 

 Panes atriceps. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 46. 



Vernacular names. Ram-gangra (Beng.). 



Description. Forehead, lores, crown, nape, chin, throat, breast, 

 a band on either side the neck connecting the nape with the 

 breast, and a band down the middle of the abdomen, bfeck; cheeks 



