422 



PARUS. TIT. 



Bill short, straight, subconical, generally strong, pentagonal 

 at the base, much higher than broad, being considerably com- 

 pressed, the point rather sharp : upper mandible with its dorsal 

 outline convexly declinate, the ridge convex, the sides convex 

 and deflected, the edges direct and overlapping, with a slight 

 festoon toward the base, the point sharp when viewed laterally, 

 but rather blunt when seen vertically, without notch or sinus ; 

 lower mandible with the angle short, of moderate width, and 

 rounded, the dorsal outline ascending and more convex than the 

 upper, the sides convex, the edges a little inflected, the tip rather 

 acute ; the gape-line straight. 



The mouth very narrow ; the upper mandible slightly con- 

 cave within, with a central and two lateral prominent lines, 

 the former divided at the base by a groove ; the lower more 

 concave, with a stronger median ridge. The posterior aper- 

 ture of the nares is linear, margined with papillae ; the palate 

 transversely concave. The pharynx is narrow, the oesophagus, 

 which is of uniform diameter and moderate width, passes along 

 the right side of the neck, as does the trachea ; the stomach a 

 rather strong gizzard, of an irregularly elliptical form, its late- 

 ral muscles thick and long, the lower not distinct from the 

 right, the tendons rather large, the right muscle commencing 

 much lower than the left, and extending proportionally beyond 

 it ; the cuticular lining longitudinally rugous. The intestine 

 is short, rather wide ; the duodenum being much wider than 

 the oesophagus ; the rectum much wider and moderately 

 enlarged towards its extremity. The coeca very small and 

 cylindrical. Plate XIII. Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12. 



The general form is short and full ; the body extremely 

 short, as is the neck ; the head large, roundish, convex ante- 

 riorly. The nostrils are small, round, in the fore part of the 



