GREAT TIT. 361 



The beak is black ; the irides dusky brown ; the top 

 of the head black, with a spot of white at the nape 

 of the neck; the cheeks and ear-coverts white; the back, 

 shoulders, and coverts of the tertials, greenish ash ; 

 upper tail-coverts bluish grey ; lesser wing-coverts greyish 

 blue ; greater wing-coverts bluish black, broadly tipped 

 with white, forming a conspicuous bar across the wings ; 

 quill-feathers bluish black, edged with bluish white, 

 which is broadest on the tertials ; tail-feathers bluish 

 black, darkest on the inner web ; the outer tail-feather on 

 each side dull white on the outer web, and on part of 

 the inner web towards the end of the feather ; the chin 

 and throat black, and united to the black colour on the 

 sides of the nape, encircling the white ear-coverts and 

 cheeks ; breasts, sides, and flanks, dull sulphur-yellow ; 

 from the chest to the vent a black stripe passes along the 

 mesial line ; under wing-coverts dull greyish white ; under 

 surface of the wing and tail-feathers lead grey ; under tail- 

 coverts white ; legs, toes, and claws, lead colour. 



The whole length of this species rather less than six 

 inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the longest 

 quill-feather, two inches and seven-eighths : the first quill- 

 feather very short ; the second not so long as the third ; 

 the fourth a little longer than the fifth, and the longest 

 in the wing. 



The female does not differ much from the male; the 

 plumage, however, is not so brilliant in colour, and the 

 black line down the breast and belly is not so broad as in 

 the male, nor does it extend so far towards the vent. 



