PARUS DICHROUS, Hodgs. 



Grey Tit. 



Pants dichrous, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 83. — lb. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiii. p. 943. — 

 lb. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xv. p. 326. — Gray, List of Spec, and Draw, of Mamm. and Birds 

 pres. to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., p. 73. — Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 192. — 

 Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 104. — lb. in Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852, p. 51. — 

 Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 229. — Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., vol. i. 

 p. 372. 



Numerous in species and diversified in form are the members of the family Panda? which tenant the great 

 forests of the Himalaya. Of these, probably the most rare in our European collections is the Parus 

 dichrous of Mr. Hodgson : examples, it is true, are to be found in the National Museum and in that at the 

 East India House ; but, besides these, I have never seen any others. At a first view, there appears to 

 be much similarity between this bird and the Parus bicolor of North America ; but they are quite distinct, 

 and must be regarded as the true representatives of each other in the countries they respectively inhabit ; 

 for, although I have figured the Parus bicolor in my work on the "Birds of Europe" as a native of Russia, 

 I freely admit that I may have figured it without sufficient caution on my part as to the certainty of its 

 having been killed in that country. Time erases from the memory circumstances which we should be pleased 

 to recall, and I am unable to recollect whence I received the information which induced me to give this bird 

 a place in the European Fauna ; and a doubt now arises in my mind as to the possibility of my having 

 seen Siberian specimens of a bird either like the one here figured, or an allied species ; such might possibly 

 have been the case. One thing, however, is certain, namely that the bird figured by me in the " Birds of 

 Europe" is the true Parus bicolor, probably drawn from an American specimen. 



All the specimens of the Parus dichrous that have been sent to Europe were collected in Nepal by 

 B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 



Crest, head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail light ashy brown ; face and all the under surface buff; 

 bill and legs bluish grey. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Dendrobium Devonianwn. 



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