176 
PARIB.E. 
the bill is dark horn colour, lighter along the edges, and 
transparent at the tip; the top of the head is entirely 
covered with a hood of shining blnish-black feathers, which, 
encroaching a little on the mantle, gives the head an ap¬ 
pearance of greater size ; the chin is also black; and the 
characteristic white spot, which distinguishes several of the 
Titmice, occupies the nape. The cheeks are pure white, 
bordered below with a narrow black band ; the middle of the 
breast and belly are white ; the sides of the breast, the flanks, 
and under coverts of the tail delicate buff colour. The upper 
part of the back and scapulars are ash-colour, tinged with 
hoary green ; the lower part of the back and upper coverts of 
the tail are strongly tinged with brownish bulf. The larger 
and lesser coverts of the wings are dark ash-colour, each fea¬ 
ther tipped with a round white spot, forming two bars across 
the wings ; the tail and wings are dusky, edged with the 
hoary green colour of the back; the tertials tipped with 
Avhite. The tail-feathers beneath are dusky grey, with white 
shafts; the under surface of the quill-feathers are the same, 
with white edges on the inner web ; the under coverts of the 
wings are greyish-white. The tail is slightly forked, and all 
the feathering is loose, and silky. 
Between male and female there is very little difference in 
plumage: the latter is rather smaller, and the black on the 
head less glossy, and not extending so far down, and the 
white is not so pure. The young resemble the adult female. 
The nest feathers of the young, before the first moult, have 
a general tinge of green in them ; and the soles of their feet 
are yellow. There is no variation in the plumage of this 
species at any particular period of the seasons, with the excep¬ 
tion of a brighter polish on the new feathers, after the au¬ 
tumnal moult. 
The egg of this species is numbered 79 in the plate. 
