PARING. 275 



The Simla Black-tit. 



Descr. — Dark grey, with a rufous tinge on the back and belly ; 

 the nape white, ferruginous in some ; crown of head, (with crest) 

 chin, throat and breast, black ; ear-coverts and sides of the neck 

 white ; axillaries and lower tail-coverts ferruginous. 



Bill black ; legs and feet plumbeous ; irides brown. Length 

 5^ inches ; wing 3 ; tail 2 £ ; bill at front ^ ; tarsus f . 



This species of Tit was procured by Hutton, near Simla, 

 high up towards the snow line. 



641. Lophophanes Beavani, Blyth. 



Parus, apud Blyth, in Mus. As. Soc. — Lho tasso, Lepch. 

 The Sikhim Black-Tit. 



Descr. — Very similar to the last ; the grey on the upper parts 

 purer, and less mixed with rufous ; the black on the throat is of 

 much less extent, the bill is shorter and more slender, and 

 there is no trace of rufous on the white nuchal spot; axillaries and 

 lower tail-coverts rufous, as in all the group. 



Length 5 inches ; wing 2| ; tail 2^ ; bill at front 10 mill. 



This is so close to the last that I did not myself discriminate it. 

 I procured it on Mount Tonglo, in Sikhim, at 10,000 feet elevation, 

 where I observed it on bushy ground, in small scattered flocks. 

 Lt. Beavan procured it in the same locality, and Mr. Blyth, 

 on seeing his specimens, considered it to be distinct from the 

 previous bird. 



These last four species, it may be observed, closely resemble 

 each other in colors, and chiefly differ in the extent of the 

 black on the throat, and the strength of the bill ; the two former 

 species being moreover much smaller than the two last ; and, 

 strange to say, with a corresponding difference in the size of the 

 bill in both cases. 



Under the next genus, restricted Parus, I have placed all 

 the non-crested Tits, except those classed under jEgitlialiscus. 

 This arrangement appears to bring together all the nearly related 

 species, and the first two on the list closely resemble, in colora- 

 tion, the species of Lophophanes. 



