AZURE TITMOUSE. 



39 



like the whetting of a saw ; which cease with in- 

 cubation : its flesh is very bitter : it will live about 

 five years, but is very seldom kept in confinement, 

 as its song is not sufficiently varied to please. 



Lewin mentions a curious variety of this bird, 

 in which the two mandibles of the beak crossed 

 each other like those of Crucirostra vulgaris : it 

 was taken near Feversham in Kent. 



AZURE TITMOUSE. 

 (Parus cyan us.) 



Pa, dilute ccerideus subtus albus, uropi/gio et vertice cano-albidis, 



cervicis albce fascia lata, humeris tectricibiisque caudce cceruleis. 

 Pale blue Titmouse, beneath white, with the rump and crown 



hoary white, with a band of that colour on the upper parts of 



the neck ; shoulders and tail-coverts blue. 

 Parus cyanus. Gmel. Sijst, Nat. 1. 1007. — Lath. Ind, Orn. 2. 



563. 3. 



Parus sabyensis. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 1008. 

 La grosse mesange bleue. Bitffl Hist, Nat, Ois, 5, 455. 

 Azure Titmouse. Penn, Arct, Zool. 2. 426. c. — Lath, Gen. Syn, 

 4. 538. 3. — Lath. Syn. Sup. I89. 3. 



This beautiful species was first described by 

 Aldrovandus : it is the size of P. major : beak 

 blue black 5 the edges dirty white : forehead, 

 crown, and cheeks, white : from the beak to the 

 hind head, passing through the eye, is a blue 

 stripe, with a pale band beneath : from the breast 

 to the middle of the belly an irregular oblong blue 

 mark ; rest of the under parts white : wings 

 varied with white, lead-colour, and blue ; the first 



