PSALTRIA ERYTHROCEPHALA. 



Red-headed Tit. 



Partis erythrocephalus, Vigors in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr, of Zool. Soc, part i. p. 22. — Gould's Century 



of Birds, pi. 30. fig. 1.— Gray, Cat. of Spec, and Draw, of Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. Mus. 



by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., p. 73. — Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 192, Parus, sp. 44. — 



Hutton, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xvii. pt. 2. p. 689. 

 Grites eri/throcephalus, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiii. p. 943. — lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. 



Calcutta, p. 104. — Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852, p. 51. — Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., 



vol. i. p. 374. 

 Poecila erythrocephalus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 230, Poecila, sp. 15. 

 JEgilhaliscus erythrocephalus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Oscines, p. 90. 



Since the publication of my " Century of Birds," in which this bird was first figured, from the only specimen 

 that had then reached this country, so many examples have been sent to Europe, that there are few collec- 

 tions in which it may not now be found. It is a native of the Sub-Himalayan range, over which, I believe, 

 it is very generally dispersed. 



Captain Hutton states that it is " common at Mussooree and in the hills generally throughout the year. 

 It breeds in April and May. The situation chosen is various, as one taken in the former month, at Mussooree, 

 at seven thousand feet elevation, was placed on the side of a bank among overhanging coarse grass, while 

 another taken in the latter month, at five thousand feet, was built among some ivy twining round a tree, and 

 at least fourteen feet from the ground. The nest is in shape a round ball, with a small lateral entrance, and 

 is composed of green mosses, warmly lined with feathers. The eggs are five in number, white with a 

 pinkish tinge, and sparingly sprinkled with lilac spots or specks, and having a wide defined lilac ring at the 

 larger end ; diameter -^ in. x T V in." 



The very trifling difference observable in the colouring of the numerous specimens I have examined, induces 

 the belief that the sexes are so similar as scarcely to be distinguished. 



Forehead, crown and nape dark rusty-red ; lores, space around the eye, ear-coverts and sides of the neck 

 deep black ; from the posterior upper angle of the eye a conspicuous stripe of white passes down between 

 the red of the nape and the black of the side of the neck ; chin and sides of the throat white ; in the centre 

 of the throat a large patch of black ; lower part of the throat buffy-white, passing into the pale rufous of the 

 abdomen ; back, wing- and tail-coverts grey ; primaries and secondaries greyish-brown, margined internally 

 with buffy-white ; tail dark greyish-brown, the outer feather margined and tipped with white, the two next 

 on each side obliquely tipped with white ; bill black ; legs and feet yellowish flesh-colour. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Andromeda ovalifolia, Wall. 



