Sitta (Chinenfis) palpebra inferiore purpurea, OJb. Vcy, j l p, 12.
' J ’HIS is a little larger than a Goldfinch. The bill and head
are black: the back, from head to tail, dark ferruginous,
with a blueifh call:: breaft and belly white; but' towards the
throat black : the head is crefted, and confifts of black feathers,
which are longer than the b ill: near the eye is an oblong fmall
fcarlet fpot; and clofe to this a large one, as white as fnow: from
the temples to the throat runs a black line ; the chin and throat
itftlf are white, but this white is encompafied with black, except
a white line in the middle of the b re aft, which joins the white
of the throat with the fnowy breaft: the rump is yellow:
the quill feathers, which are nineteen in number, have ferruginous
dark coverts : the tail feathers are twelve in number, and blackifh,
with white tips.
This bird inhabits China, where it is called Kow-kay-koiin. It
is kept more for its beauty, than for its fine fong, for it fings1 but
little; Its food is boiled rice;
I have feen this not unfrequently painted in Chinefe paper-
hangings.
7 -
CHINESE.
N.
D e s c r i p t i o n ,
P lacv«
Ginus