6S AZURE TIT. 



agreeable tscherpink, tscherpink, tscherpink quickly, and then a note 

 like that of the Cole Tit, 'pink,' 'pinktsch,' but the 'pink' is shriller, 

 and the last note less harsh. They have the common Tit note — 'st-st- 

 st.' They fly low from bush to bush. The flight consists of a succession 

 of bow-shaped lines, is stronger than that of the Great Tit, and some- 

 what resembles that of the Wagtail. In trees the Tit is very active, 

 and when quiet continually raises and depresses its crest. It is in a 

 wild state the most beautiful of all Tits." 



I copy the following from Mr. Dresser's "Birds of Europe," according 

 to Dr. Dybowski, as comminicated to Mr. D. by Dr. Taczanowski: — 

 "This species breeds in holes in old trees, especially willows, rarely 

 in the deserted holes of Woodpeckers. The nest is composed of the 

 fur of the white hare and squirrels, with a few pieces of slender grass, 

 and forms a close soft bed fully a centimetre in thickness. All the 

 nests I found were in holes from half a metre to one metre above 

 the ground. They lay ten or eleven eggs, which are larger than those 

 of Parus cceruleus, and in colour resemble those of Parus palustris, 

 except that the red spots are paler, smaller, and less numerous, generally 

 collected at the larger end; sometimes these spots are so small and 

 pale, as to be almost imperceptible to the eye. In form and size they 

 vary; the measurements of five eggs from different nests are as follows: 

 —18.5 by 12.5, 17.0 by 12.0, 16.5 by 12.5, 16.0 by 11.0, 15.5 by 11 

 millemetres respectively. If the full complement of eggs is not laid, 

 the female when leaving the nest covers them over with small dry 

 leaves. Like other Titmice she sits closely, and defends her eggs in 

 the same manner. We found complete sittings between the 20th. and 

 26th. of May, the eggs being then fresh; on the 14th. of June we 

 found young birds." 



Eggs taken by Dr. Dybowski on the Ussuri river, a tributary of 

 the Amoor, in my own collection, are similar to those described above. 

 As will be seen by the one figured, they resemble very much the 

 egg of our well-known Blue Tit. 



A male bird, also collected by Dybowski in the same locality, in 

 my own collection, has the head, nape, throat, breast, and abdomen 

 white, tinged more or less with blue, and the latter with a blue patch 

 in its centre. At the base of the nape a blue band, which on the 

 side receives a narrower blue band, which passes through the eyes. 

 The back light greyish blue, the upper tail coverts being broadly 

 tipped with white. The tail, which is long, has the two upper feathers 

 dark blue. The most external feather white, with a grey patch at the 

 base of the inner web. The next feather blue on the outer web for 

 half the length of the feather; the inner web from the base to half 



