PARUS 171 



Ad. (Kan-su). Differs from P. songarus in having the crown black with 

 a coffee-brown tinge, not deep black, the throat patch also brownish black, 

 the upper parts paler, more isabelline in tinge, and the under parts rather 

 whiter. Culmen 0'47, wing 2*62, tail 2-48, tarsus 0'7 inch. 



Hob. The Njan-shan Mountains, Alaschan, and Kan-su. 



Inhabits the conifer and non-evergreen woods, but does not 

 range so high as the alpine bush region. In April they were 

 observed pairing, and early in June the young had left the 

 nests. I do not, however, find any description published of the 

 nest and eggs. 



249. SUBSP. PARUS HYPERMEL^NA 



Parus hypermelcena, Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gan-su, p. 112, pi. ii. 

 fig. 2 (1891). 



Ad. Crown and nape glossy black, this colour extending on to the back, 

 which is olive-brown, and the rump also, but tinged with sandy ; sides of 

 the head and ear-coverts white ; wings and tail blackish grey, externally 

 margined with olivaceous ; chin and throat dull black ; rest of under parts 

 white, the sides of the breast olive-brown, the flanks sandy brown ; bill 

 blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'36, wing 2*4, 

 tail 1'83, tarsus 0'55 inch. Tail nearly even. It differs from P. affinis 

 in being smaller, having a square and not a rounded tail, and in having the 

 crown glossy black, and from P. palustris by having more black on the 

 throat (about as much as P. ater) in having the black extended further on 

 the back, and in the dark colour of the sides of the breast and flanks. 



Hal. Shen-si. 



Only two specimens were obtained at Shen-si on the borders 

 of Kan-su and Szechuen, and nothing is known of its habits or 

 nidification. 



250. SOMBRE TITMOUSE. 

 PARUS LUOUBRIS. 



Parus lugubris, Nattercr fide Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 293 (1820) ; Gould, 

 B. of E. iii. pi. 151, fig. 1 ; Dresser, iii.p. 121, pi. Ill ; Gadow, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 47. 



Trauermeise, German ; Cincia dalmatina, Ital. 



ad. (Smyrna). Crown, nape, and throat sooty black ; upper parts 

 ashy brown ; spurious wing and primary coverts blackish brown with 

 greyish white margins ; rest of the wings and tail greyish brown, externally 

 margined with whitish ; cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of neck pure white ; 



