GREAT TIT. 193 



green, divided all down the middle by a broad black line; 

 back, olive green, bluish grey below. 



The wings expand to the width of ten inches, and extend 

 to one third of the length of the tail; underneath they are 

 bluish grey; greater wing coverts, bluish black, edged with 

 olive green, and tipped with white, forming a bar across the 

 wings; lesser wing coverts, bluish, and some greenish ash-colour. 

 Primaries, dusky bluish, edged with grey, except the first two, 

 and tipped with bluish white, except the first three; they are 

 margined on the inside with white, and on the outside with 

 pale blue, excepting the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, which 

 are white on the narrower part, and the inner three, which 

 are yellow: the first feather is very short, the second not so 

 long as the third, the fourth a little longer than the fifth, 

 and the longest in the wing, being a little longer than the 

 sixth. Secondaries and tertiaries, the same, edged with greenish 

 white, the white of the latter being broader; greater and lesser 

 under wing coverts, white; tail, dusky bluish, darkest on the 

 inner web, the outer feathers white on their outer webs more 

 or less, and on part of the inner web towards the tip of the 

 feather, the others margined with bluish grey; it is the latter 

 colour underneath. Upper tail coverts, bluish grey; under tail 

 coverts, white; legs and toes, dark lead-colour; claws, dark 

 brown. 



The female resembles the male in plumage, but the colours 

 are less bright. Length, five inches and three quarters to 

 six inches; head, dull black; breast, dull yellow; the black 

 band narrower, and not quite so far extended downwards. 

 The wings expand to the width of nine inches and a half. 



The young male has the black streak narrower than in the 

 adult bird, but continued all the way. 



Lewin has recorded a curious variety of this bird, which 

 had the upper and lower bills crossed. 



