BLUE TITMOUSE. 169 



thin and delicate texture, of a transparent pinky 

 white, more or less spotted with clear rufous 

 brown. 



The forehead, cheeks, and a band above each 

 eye, and joining indistinctly on the occiput, 

 white ; the crown within this band is Berlin blue, 

 and a collar of very deep azure surrounds the 

 white of the cheeks and narrow occipital band, 

 joining upon the throat, where it is nearly black, 

 and where it runs down the belly as a central 

 dark streak. A streak of the latter colour also 

 runs through each eye, and joins the azure collar. 

 The back is grayish green, but on the nape of 

 the neck the colour is pale lilac purple, which 

 shades into the surrounding colours ; this is a 

 spot conspicuous at all times, but principally 

 when the neck is stretched, and it runs more or 

 less through the distribution of the colours in 

 the genus. The wings, when closed, appear 

 entirely Berlin blue ; but the inner webs of the 

 feathers composing them are nearly olive brown, 

 and the greater covers are tipped with white. 

 The inner webs of a few of the outer tail feathers 

 are also olive brown ; but those in the centre, 

 and the tail when closed, appear Berlin blue. 

 The belly and flanks, except the central streak, 

 are sulphur yellow ; the bill and legs are blueish 

 gray. In the female and young the colours are 

 less distinct, and the central streak, with that 

 through the eyes, are less defined 



