PARUS SPILONOTUS, Biyth. 



Spotted Tit. 



Parus spilonotus, Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 103.— lb. Jard. Contr. to Orn. 1852, p. 49. 



pi. 87. fig. 2— Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 228— Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., 



vol. i. p. 371. 

 Machlolophus spilonotus, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 91. 



It is certain that this species is a native of Nepaul, if that country be not its exclusive habitat, for it is 

 from thence that all the specimens contained in the Collection at the British Museum, and in that of the 

 East India Company, have been sent by Mr. Hodgson, and which are the only examples I have yet seen. 



In point of affinity this species is allied both to the P. wanthogenys and the P. Jerdoni; but it differs 

 from both in the much deeper yellow of the cheeks and eye-streak, and in the yellow extending across the 

 forehead and forming a band at the base of the bill ; the guttations or oblong spotting of the back will, 

 moreover, serve to distinguish it from either of the species above mentioned ; the crest is also somewhat 

 larger, and the yellow patch at the nape more conspicuous ; the secondaries are not so perceptibly fringed 

 with greyish-white, and the series of grey spots which occur on the shoulders are not found in the other 

 species. 



No marked difference occurs in the colouring of the sexes. 



At present this species is extremely rare in the collections of Europe. 



Lores, cheeks, sides of the neck, superciliary stripe and a patch at the nape rich yellow ; crown, crest 

 and remainder of the head glossy black ; back and scapularies black, with a streak of dull olive-yellow down 

 the apical portion of each feather ; rump and upper tail-coverts dark greyish-olive ; wings black, the lesser 

 coverts tipped with grey, the greater with white ; base of the primaries margined externally with white for 

 a short distance forming a small patch, and narrowly edged from the middle to the end with white ; 

 secondaries narrowly edged with blue-grey, and tipped with white ; tail black, the apical three-fourths of 

 the external feather on each side, and the tips of the whole white ; chin, chest and centre of the abdomen 

 black ; flanks pale yellow, passing into greyish-yellow below ; bill black ; feet bluish-grey. 



The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life on an Indian plant, the name of which is unknown 

 to me. 



