PAUL'S. 83 



but is not a seed-eater, nor does it seem to enjoy a stray meat- 

 bone from the kitchen as cinereus does. Its note is a very 

 loud four syllabic whistle, which may be written ti-ti-tee-it, the 

 third syllable much prolonged. In Shillong, where it is very 

 common, this call is the first bird-note to be heard in the early 

 dawn when it is most persistent and shrill though quite musical. 



(60) Parus cyanus tianschanicus. 

 THE TIANSCHAN BLUE-TIT. 



Cyanistes cyanus var. tianschanicus Menzbier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 

 is, p. 270 (1884) (Mountains of Central Asia). 



Vernacular names. ]^one recorded. 



Description. A thin line of deep blue running through the 

 eye and over the ear-coverts in a narrow collar round the nape ; 

 remainder of head pale vinous blue or blue-grey ; back pale 

 blue-grey ; upper tail-coverts bright dark blue, tipped with white ; 

 outermost tail-feathers white, with the basal third of the inner 

 web black ; on each succeeding pair the white decreases and 

 the black increases and becomes more blue, especially on the 

 outer web, until the central rectrices are all dark blue, except for 

 broad white tips. Visible portion of closed wing deep blue, the 

 quills edged with white on their terminal hnlves and the inner 

 secondaries with bold white tips also ; greater coverts with similar 

 tips making a broad bar of white across the wing. 



Below pale vinous blue-grey with a broad patch of black on the 

 abdomen forming an interrupted black median line on these parts. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill slaty horn ; iricles brown ; legs and 

 feet plumbeous. 



Measurements. Wing about 75 mm., tail about 65 mm. ; culmen 

 about 7 mm. ; tarsus about 15 mm. 



Distribution. Tianschan, Turkestan, Afghanistan, Chitral. 



Nidification. It is said to breed in May, laying 10 or 11 typical 

 Blue-Tits' eggs, white spotted with red, in a nest of hair and 

 grass in a hole. In size they seem to vary between 18*5 x 12-5 

 (Dybowslci) and 14-8 X 11'5 mm. (Eey). 



Habits. Those of the genus. They are found at considerable 

 elevations, certainly up to 12,000 feet, descending lower in winter, 

 especially in the most northern parts of their habitat where they 

 may be found at the level of the Plains. Fulton obtained five 

 young birds in Chitral, at 10,000 feet in July 1902 ; he reports 

 that this Tit was common there in the river-bed, where they were 

 frequenting dense scrub of willow, juniper and birch. 



VOL. I. G 



