2 PAKTD.IS. 



onl)-. Plumage soft, •vcoolly and lax. The principal colours of the 

 plumage are -white, black, yellow, and blue ; red and green (except 

 olive-yellow) do not occur. Spots on the back and -wings are often 

 met with, but transverse bands are never found on any part of the 

 plumage. The sides of the head are frequently coloured differently 

 from the rest of the head ; the feathers of the crown are often pro- 

 longed into a crest. Sexes generally alike in plumage. 



The Parince are small, non-migratory, mostly insectivorous birds, 

 inhabiting the whole world, with the exception of the Neotropical 

 Eegion and the Pacific islands. They comprise 7 genera with about 

 80 species. 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Parin.k typics. Nostrils mostly round 



and entirely devoid of any coriaceous 

 opercidum ; always hidden by little 

 feathers and bristles. Tongue obtuse, and 

 beset at the tip with horny bristles. 

 a. Culmen curved ; first primary long. 

 a'. Tail rounded or square ; with many 

 scales in front of the tarsus; often 



■with a crest 1. Parus, p. 3. 



h'. Tail rather long and graduated; tarsus 

 covered anteriorly with one scutum, 

 or with the scales almost fused into ,„ Psjatt-rta* n 5S 



one ; no crest j g' Acredula p 54* 



h. Culuien straight ; bill very much pointed ; ' ' ' > P- • 



tail short, square, or emarginated ; tarsus 

 anteriorly covered with many scales ; 

 no crest 4. ^githalus, p. 66. 



B. Paring AfsxHALES. Nostrils in a groove, 



longitudinal, operculated ; not covered by 

 feathers, but quite free and exposed. 

 Tongue without bristles (?). Confined to 

 the Australian Region. 

 [c. First primary wanting ; second primary 



very long Oreocharis t.] 



d. First primary well developed. 



c'. Bill higher than broad ; tail square ; 

 no crest ; secondaries equal to four 

 fifths of the wing; nostrils partly 



covered 5. Xerophila, p. 73. 



d'. Bill not higher than broad ; nostrils 

 exposed. 

 a" . With a crest ; secondaries equal to 



sixth or seventh primary 6. Sphexostoma, p. 74. 



h". Without a crest ; secondaries equal 

 to fourth or fifth, or third or fourth 

 primaries 7. Certhiparus, p. 75. 



* PsaHria is intermediate between Acredula and Partis. Tail graduated ; 

 tarsi anteriorly covered with scales ; no crest ; fl^-st primarj- longer than half 

 the second primary. 



+ Oreocharis, although referred to in this key, will be included in the account 

 of the McUph'igirxB (Car. B. vol. ix.). 



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