538 LONG TAILED TITMOUSE. Class II. 



to the hind part, is white, mixed with a few 

 dark grey feathers ; this bed of white is entirely 

 surrounded with a broad stroke of black, which, 

 rising on each side the upper mandible, passes 

 over each eye, unites at the hind part of the 

 head, and continues along the middle of the 

 back to the rump ; the feathers on each side of 

 this black stroke are of a purplish red, as are 

 those immediately incumbent on the tail. The 

 covert feathers of the wings are black ; the se- 

 condary and quil feathers are dusky, the largest 

 of the latter wholly so; the lesser and more 

 remote have their exterior sides edged with 

 white. 



The tail is the longest in proportion to the 

 bulk of any British bird, being in length three 

 inches ; the form of it is like that of a magpie, 

 consisting of twelve feathers of unequal lengths, 

 the middlemost the longest, those on each side 

 growing gradually shorter; the exterior sides, 

 and the top of the interior sides of the three 

 outmost feathers are white; the rest. of the tail 

 black. The cheeks and throat are white : the 

 breast and whole under side white, with a cast 

 of red. The legs, feet, and claws, are black. 

 Nbst. It forms its nest with great elegance, of an 



oval shape, and about eight inches deep ; near 

 the upper end is a hole for admission ; the ex- 



