174 PARUS 



Grzimailo found a nest containing five eggs near Sining, 

 which was placed in a mouse-hole and constructed of moss and 

 grass and lined with camels' wool and mouse hair. The eggs 

 were white, spotted all over the surface of the shell with 

 reddish yellow. 



The nearest ally to this Titmouse is Parus montanus Gambel, 

 which inhabits the Rocky Mountains and western North 

 America. 



254. RED-BELLIED TITMOUSE. 



PARUS DAVIDI. 



Parus davidi (Berez. and Bianchi), Ptitz. Gan-su p. '113, pi. ii. fig. 4 

 (1891). 



Ad. (Kan-su). Crown and nape deep black, rather dull ; below the 

 black nape a rufous band crosses the back, joining the red on the breast ; 

 back dark olive-brown with a grey tinge ; tail and wings like the back, 

 xternally margined with dull ochraceous ; sides of the neck and head 

 below the eye white ; chin and throat dull black ; rest of the under part 

 chestnut-red, the centre of the abdomen paler ; 4th and 5th quills longest, 

 the 6th nearly equal, the 2nd equal to the 9th or 10th, the 1st about 21mm. 

 shorter ; beak black ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'37, 

 wing 2*55, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'65 inch. Sexes alike ; the young differ only 

 in having the sides of the head yellowish. 



Hob. S.W. Kansu. 



Berezovski only met with it in the mountains of S.W. Kansu 

 where it was rare, occurring in small parties of 5 to 10 

 individuals on the edge of the forest, in valleys at an altitude 

 of 7,000 to 9,000 feet. Its note resembles that of P. affinis, but 

 is harsher and more discordant, and in its general habits it 

 does not differ from the Marsh Titmouse. Nothing is known 

 respecting its nidification. 



255. VARIED TITMOUSE. 

 PARUS VARIUS. 



Parus varius, Temni. and Schl. Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 71, pi. 35 (1850) ; 

 Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 37 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 85. 



Yama-gara, Jap. 



ad. (Japan). A broad frontal band continued down the sides of the 

 neck white ; crown, hind neck, chin, and throat deep black ; an irregular 

 white patch on the occiput and nape ; upper part of back chestnut-red, the 

 remainder of back, wings, and tail bluish grey ; an irregular band below 

 .the black throat creamy white ; breast, abdomen, and flanks chestnut-red j 



