Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/128

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96
PARIDÆ.

The race is nearest to true Æ. c. concinnus of China but is distinguished from that bird by the more chestnut flanks and sides.

Colour of soft parts as in iredalei.

Measurements. A rather bigger bird than the Common Red-headed Tit. Total length about 115 mm.; wing 53 mm.; tail 53 mm.; tarsus about 14 mm.

Distribution. Mt. Talifu, W. Yunnan, S.W. China and N. Shan States as far west as the Irrawaddy.

Nidification. Harington, who took this Tit's nest in the Shan States, describes it as like that of the Long-tailed Tit—a ball of moss lined with feathers and with an inner lining of seed-down, placed in a raspberry bush within two feet of the ground. The full clutch of eggs seems to be three only and they measure about 13·5 × 10·9 mm.

Harington took the above nest in the end of April but Mr. F. Grant found it breeding in March and early April.

Habits. This Tit seems to be obtained principally between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. Little has been so far recorded of its habits, which doubtless do not differ from those of others of the genus.

Ægithaliscus bonvaloti.
Key to Subspecies.

A. Below white with ferruginous pectoral band. Wing 56–61 mm. Æ. b. bonvaloti, p. 96.
B. Below rufescent with brownish band. Wing 50–55 mm. Æ. b. sharpei, p. 97.

(81) Ægithaliscus bonvaloti bonvaloti.
The Chinese Black-headed Tit.

Ægithaliscus bonvaloti Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool., (7) Vol. 12, p. 286 (1891) (Ta-tsien-lu).

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Head black, a coronal streak white on the fore-head and becoming chestnut-buff posteriorly; upper back dull chestnut, fading into dull olive on back and rump; feathers of the latter tipped with dull chestnut; chin and upper throat black, somewhat mottled in the centre with white edges to the feathers; below white; a broken pectoral band, flanks, vent and under tail-coverts sandy chestnut; tail blackish brown, the outermost three pairs of rectrices with terminal broad streaks of white; wings brown, quills pale-edged and coverts tipped with olive.

Colours of soft parts. Not recorded.

Measurements. Total length about 110 mm.; wing 56 to 61 mm.; tail 51 to 60 mm.