Colours of soft parts. Iris deep brown; bill black; legs and feet clear light slaty blue or lavender-blue.
Measurements. Length about 130 mm.; wing 69 to 73 mm.; tail about 58 mm.; tarsus about 20 mm.; culmen about 10 mm.
The young differ from the adult in having the black mostly replaced with greenish brown and the crown the same colour as the back.
Distribution. Murree to Nepal and Sikkim. The many birds recorded as xanthogenys from various places south of the Himalayas are all the next bird as far as can be now ascertained.
Nidification. Similar to that of M. s. spilonotus. The average of thirty eggs is 17·7 × 13·1 mm.
Habits. This Tit is found between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in summer and does not seem to work much lower in winter. In its habits generally it differs little from the Black-spotted Yellow-Tits. Its call, flight and feeding-liabits are all described as similar.
(76) Machlolophus xanthogenys aplonotus.
The Southern Yellow-cheeked Tit.
- Panis aplonotus Blyth, J.A.S.B., x.vi, p. 444 (1847) (Mts. of Central India).
- Machlolophus haplonotus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 56.
Vernacular names. None recorded.
Description. Differs from the northern bird in having the wing-coverts tipped with white instead of yellow and in having the green and yellow portions of the plumage dull instead of bright. In this bird also the line over the ear-coverts only extends to the corner of the eye and not over it.
Colours of soft parts and measurements as in the Northern Yellow-cheeked Tit. A careful examination of the big series in the British Museum does not show that there is any difference in size between the Northern and Southern races in spite of Oates's opinion to the contrary.
Distribution. Throughout the Peninsula of India South of a line drawn from Abu to Paresnath in Chota Nagpur, up to elevations of about 6,000 feet. This Tit does not appear to be found East of Paresnath or West of Abu.
Nidification. Similar to that of the Northern race. The average of thirty eggs is about 17·4 × 13·9 mm. They are not distinguishable from those of the last bird. It is said to breed from May to September.
Habits. Is found during the breeding season between 2,000 and 6,000 feet, wandering higher than this in the Nilgiris and coming down to the level of the plains, especially in winter. There is nothing special recorded about its habits.
