PARUS 175 



paler on the middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; bill brownish 

 horn; legs plumbeous; iris brown. Culmen 0'51, wing 3'1, tail 2-22, 

 tarsus 0-77 inch. Female similar but rather duller on the upper parts. 



i. Japan (Yesso and Hondo) and Corea. 



In habits it is said to resemble the other Titmice, and like 

 them frequents conifer groves, but is much less sociable, and is 

 generally seen alone or in pairs. Its note is described as re- 

 sembling that of Picus minor. It nests in holes in trees or in 

 stone walls, in April or May, depositing 7 to 8 eggs which are 

 white, faintly marked, chiefly at the larger end, with pale red, 

 and measure about 0'69 by 0'55. 



In the Seven Islands, south of Japan, another form, Panes 

 Owstoni Ijima (Dobuts. Zass. No. 62, December 1893) occurs, 

 which has a larger and stouter bill, and the white portions of 

 the plumage are replaced by dark rufous. 



256. AZURE TITMOUSE. 

 PARUS CYANUS. 



Farm cyanus, Pall. Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Imp. Petrop. xiv. p. 588, Tab. 

 13, fig. 1 (1770) ; Naum. iv. p. 76, Taf. 95, fig. 3 ; Gould, B. of E. 

 iii. pi. 153 ; Dresser, iii. p. 143, pi. 114 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 viii. p. 10 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 432. 



Lasurmeise, German ; Azurmes, Swed. ; Bielaya-Lazorevka, 

 Russ. 



<$ ad. (S. Ural). Crown, lores, and a ring round the eye white, a 

 blackish blue stripe passing through the eye ; back bluish grey ; upper 

 tail-coverts blue, tipped with white ; wings greyish brown, the outer 

 webs of feathers blue and tipped with white ; a broad white alar bar ; tail 

 blue, the outer feathers and tips white ; under parts white, with a small 

 bluish black patch in the middle of the breast ; bill blackish ; legs 

 plumbeous; iris blackish brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2'7, tail 2'7, tarsus 

 0-65 inch. 



Hob. Russia, east through Siberia to the sea of Japan, and 

 south to Turkestan. In Europe it has strayed as far west as 

 Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria. 



Frequents as a rule damp places, willow thickets on the 

 borders of streams, and does not inhabit forests. Its call-note 

 is very varied ; when on the wing it utters a loud but fine tirr, 

 tirr, when perched a loud and agreeable tscherpink, tsckerpink, 

 tscherpink, very quickly in succession, and then a note like the 

 pink, pink, tschsch, of the Coal Titmouse. Its flight consists of 



