PARUS MAJOR. 
(GREAT TITMOUSE.) 
Parus major, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766). 
Parus robustus, Brehm, Vog. Deutsch]. p. 461 (1831). 
Parus fringillago, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i. p. 555 (1831). 
Mésange charbonnier, French; Kohi-Meise, German; Talgmes, Swedish ; Kjédmeise, Nor- 
wegian ; Musvil-meise, Danish ; Cinciallegra, Italian; Carbonero, Quive-vive, Spanish. 
Mas pileo, colli lateribus, et gutture toto indigotico-nigris : genis cum regione auriculari nuchaque albis, hac 
posterius flavicante usque ad dorsum flavicanti-viridem: tectricibus alarum pulchre cinereis, majoribus 
albo terminatis : remigibus nigricantibus, extus cinereo versus apicem albido, secundariis favo mar- 
ginatis: dorso postico cinereo: cauda cinerea, rectrice penultima albo ad apicem pogonii externi 
terminata, ultima late albo marginata: subtus citrinus, corpore medio nigro: subcaudalibus albis, 
nigro variis: subalaribus albis: rostro nigro: pedibus plumbescenti-cinereis. 
Fem. mari similis, sed coloribus sordidioribus, et linea nigra pectorali angustiore. 
Juy. similis adultis, sed coloribus multo dilutioribus et genis flavicante tinctis. 
Male. Crown of the head, sides of the neck, and entire throat glossy black, with a deep indigo lustre; 
cheeks, ear-coverts, and a small spot on the upper nape white; back of the neck citron, gradually 
' shading off on to the back, which is yellowish green; wing-coverts clear blue-grey, the greater ones 
tipped with white, the outermost one of the row edged with white; quills blackish, externally margined 
with slaty grey, which shades off into a white edging towards the tip of the feather; the secondaries 
externally edged with yellowish, becoming white toward the tip; lower part of the back, rump, and 
upper tail-coverts slaty grey, becoming darker on the latter; tail blackish, broadly washed with blue- 
grey, so as to appear almost entirely of this colour, the last feather broadly edged with white, and the 
last but one just tipped with white on the outer web; under surface of the body citron-yellow, with a 
broad line of black down the centre of the breast extending to the tail-coverts, which are also varied 
with white; under wing-coverts white; bill black; iris black; feet leaden-grey. Total length 5:8 
inches, culmen 0°45, wing 2°95, tail 2°45, tarsus 0:7. 
Female. Similar to the male, but has the glossy blue lustre on the throat not so bright, and the median 
pectoral stripe much narrower. 
Young. Similar to the adults, but has all the colours very much duller, and a dash of yellow on the cheeks. 
Tue Great Titmouse appears to extend over the whole of the Palearctic Region, being every- 
where for the most part resident, but in some localities migratory. In Great Britain it is a very 
common bird; but, as Mr. A. G. More observes, it is “‘ rare in the north of Scotland, but marked 
by Mr. Dunbar as breeding regularly in Ross and Sutherland. Sir W. Jardine describes it as 
ranging scarcely so far north as the Blue Titmouse.” In Ireland Thompson says it is common 
I 
~] 
