VII 



PARIDAE 539 



by bristly feathers, are exposed in Xerophila and Sphenostoma. 

 Crests occur in the last-named and at times in Parus. 



The colour of the soft, lax plumage is commonly dull; but 

 Parus may be glossy greenish -black and yellow, as in the 

 Sultan-bird (P. sultaneus) ; 

 black with white on the 

 wings, tail, or lower parts, as 

 in P. niger and a few other 

 African species ; blue and 

 white, with a little black and 

 grey or a yellow fore-neck, as 

 in P. cyanus and P. flam- 

 pectus ; blue, black, greenish, 

 yellow, and white, as in the 

 British Great and Blue Tits 

 (P. major and P. caeruleus) ; 

 olive, brown, or grey, varied 

 with black, white, chestnut, or 

 buff, as in our Crested Tit (P. 



cristatus] ; or lastly, the tints 



. , ,. , . , FIG. 121. Great Titmouse. Parus major. 



while including but little xl, 



yellow or blue, as in our Coal 



and Marsh Tits (P. britannicus and P. palustris), may be greyish 

 or olive on the back, with a black head, white cheeks, and buffish- 

 white under parts, the former species having a white nuchal patch. 

 Psaltria is brown, grey, white, and buff ; Psaltriparus is similar ; 

 Xerophila and Sphenostoma are brown, with yellowish-white, buff, 

 or brown and white lower surface ; Certhiparus is red-brown, with 

 a grey nape and dull white breast. Acredula, containing the Long- 

 tailed Tits, is black and white with a more or less pronounced rosy 

 wash, or may be rufous, or brown and grey, with pinkish or fawn 

 under parts, two species having chestnut heads. Aegithalus and 

 Auriparus are rufous-brown, yellow-green, or greyish above, with 

 black and white, orange-red, or yellow heads ; and are commonly 

 rufous and white, yellow, or whitish below, occasionally with bay 

 marks. The sexes are very similar, the young often yellower. 



Titmice are ordinarily non - migratory, Parus occupying 

 most of the globe, except South America and the Australian 

 Eegion east of Lombok and Flores ; Psaltria is confined to Java, 

 Acredula to the Palaearctic and Indian countries, Aegithalus to 



