12 
AZURE TIT. 
Naumann says that it never nests in Germany; in 
fact very little is known about its propagation, and I 
am sorry that I have not an authentic egg to figure. 
It breeds in the wild regions of Siberia and Eastern 
Russia. t 
The adult male has the top of the head, a large 
patch on the nape, the cheeks, throat, and all the 
inferior parts snowy white, the top of the head being- 
shaded with azure blue, and there is a patch of the 
same in the middle of the abdomen. From the beak 
through the eyes to the nape is a band of very dark 
blue, which, passing round the head, enlarges at the 
nape, returns and forms a triangular patch on the side 
of the neck; back, rump, and above the wings, azure 
blue; greater wing coverts dark blue, the border being 
clearer, and terminating in white ; middle tail quills 
azure blue, the laterals bordered and terminated with 
white. The tail long and cuneiform; feet and tarsi 
azure blue. 
The female has the top of the head grey white; all 
the blue colours less pure, and the blue band which 
passes through the eyes is smaller in the nape. 
Figured by Temminck and Laugier; Pallas, Nov. 
Comm. Acad. Peterop, pi. 2o, fig. 3; Naumann, Vogel 
Deutsch., vol. iv, pi. 95; Gould, pi. 153. 
