BLUE TITMOUSE. 
169 
thin and delicate texture, of a transparent pinky 
white, more or less spotted with clear rufous 
brown. 
The forehead, cheeks, and a band above each 
eye, and joining indistinctly on the occiput, 
white ; the crown within this band is Berlin blue, 
and a collar of very deep azure surrounds the 
white of the cheeks and narrow occipital band, 
joining upon the throat, where it is nearly black, 
and where it runs down the belly as a central 
dark streak. A streak of the latter colour also 
runs through each eye, and joins the azure collar. 
The back is grayish green, but on the nape of 
the neck the colour is pale lilac purple, which 
shades into the surrounding colours ; this is a 
spot conspicuous at all times, but principally 
when the neck is stretched, and it runs more or 
less through the distribution of the colours in 
the genus. The wings, when closed, appear 
entirely Berlin blue ; but the inner webs of the 
feathers composing them are nearly olive brown, 
and the greater covers are tipped with white. 
The inner webs of a few of the outer tail feathers 
are also olive brown ; but those in the centre, 
and the tail when closed, appear Berlin blue. 
The belly and flanks, except the central streak, 
are sulphur yellow ; the bill and legs are blueish 
gray. In the female and young the colours are 
less distinct, and the central streak, with that 
through the eyes, are less defined. 
