I'KELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 173 



5. Food. Insects und their larva?. The young arc fed on the same by both 

 parent*. [K. L. T.] 



6. Song Period. The specie* has no song. [K. L. T.] 



BRITISH GREAT-TIT [Parus major newtoni PraZak. Tom-tit, 

 oxeye, black-cap, billy-biter, bee-eater, nope, saw-sharpener, hickmall 

 or hackmall]. 



i. Description. The great-tit may readily be distinguished, even in the 

 field, by the black head and throat enlivened by a large white spot on the cheeks, 

 and the broad black band which runs down the middle of the sulphur-yellow breast 

 and abdomen. The sexes are alike, and there is no seasonal change of coloration. 

 (PL 65.) Length 5'76 in. [147 mm.]. The head, sides of the upper neck and 

 throat are black with a metallic steel-blue gloss, enlivened by a large white spot 

 covering the face and ear-coverts. The black of the under surface on the fore- 

 breast forms a gorget, which, contracting slightly, runs down the middle of the 

 breast and abdomen to form a broad band, widest on the abdomen, whence it 

 contracts to run down the middle of the under tail-coverts, which else are white. 

 This band is very conspicuous against the sulphur-yellow of the rest of the under 

 parts. The nape is marked by a white spot passing backwards into greenish yellow 

 and finally blending with the yellowish olive-green of the mantle. The rump, 

 upper tail-coverts and tail are of a blue-grey colour, the tail feathers somewhat 

 darker, and having black shafts. The outermost feather has the outer web and 

 the greater part of the inner web white, while at the tip of the outer web of the 

 penultimate feather is a spot of white. The wing-coverts are of a dull greyish blue, 

 the major series having broad white tips, faintly tinged with yellow. The primaries 

 have the outer webs deeply emarginate, the broad part of the web being dark 

 grey-blue, the narrow white, while the secondaries have the outer web margined 

 with greenish blue, the innermost with a broad margin of greenish white. The 

 female differs from the male in her general lack of intensity of coloration. The 

 juvenile plumage differs from that of the adult in that the black of the head and 

 throat is replaced by a dark slate-grey, and the cheek spot is sulphur-yellow, like the 

 sides of the upper neck. The rest of the upper parts are of a greenish grey, passing 

 into slate-grey on the rump and tail. The under parts are sulphur-yellow and the 

 black median band is but feebly developed, [w. p. p.] 



