PARUS MINOR, Temm. et Schleg 



Chinese Tit. 



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Varus minor, Temm. and Schleg. Faun. Japonica, Aves, p. 70. pi. xxxiii. — Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 229, Parus, 

 sp. 9. 



Over what extent of habitat this well-defined species may range, will be for future ornithologists to determine, 

 when the great country of China has become more open to scientific investigation ; at present we only know 

 that the bird is a native of the districts in the neighbourhood of Shanghai and the Island of Japan, from 

 both of which countries I possess examples. Although somewhat smaller in size, it is evidently the repre- 

 sentative in China of the Parus major of Europe, from which it is distinguished by the total absence 

 of yellow on the flanks, and the greater amount of white on the outer tail-feathers, as it is from the Parus 

 cinereus of India by its yellow nape. MM. Temminck and Schlegel have given figures of this bird in the 

 volume " Aves " of Siebold's interesting work on the Fauna of Japan, but afford us no information as to its 

 habits and economy ; we may infer, however, that they resemble those of its near allies, which, as is well 

 known, obtain their insect food among the branches of thickly-foliaged trees ; that they are pert, restless, 

 and active in their manners, and stationary or non-migratory. 



The sexes appear to assimilate most closely in their colouring, which may be thus described : — 

 Crown of the head, nape, throat, band on the sides of the neck, chest, and an irregular mark down the 

 centre of the abdomen glossy bluish black ; cheeks and ear-coverts white ; centre of the back yellowish olive, 

 separated from the black of the nape by a mark of white ; scapularies, lower part of the back, and upper 

 tail-coverts blue-grey ; wing-coverts black, tipped with white, and margined with blue-grey ; primaries and 

 secondaries slaty black, the former narrowly margined at the base with blue-grey, and towards the apex with 

 white, the latter more broadly with dull white ; sides of the chest and flanks creamy ; tail slaty black, mar- 

 gined with blue-grey, the outer feather white, margined internally with brown, and the next on each side 

 with a wedge-shaped mark of white at the tip; bill bluish black ; irides dark brown ; feet blackish blue. 



The figures are the size of life. The plant is a species of Uvularia, copied from one of the fine collections 

 of botanical drawings at the East India House. 



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