270 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



In their habits they are strictly arboreal, active, climbing about 

 and clinging to the twigs and flowering branches of trees and 

 shrubs, with a loud, and reiterated chirp. They are very omnivo- 

 rous, feed equally on seeds, fruits, and insects ; and they pierce 

 hard seeds or nuts with their strong conical bill, holding it with 

 their feet, and thus extract the kernel. They are excessively bold 

 and even ferocious, the larger ones occasionally destroying young 

 and sickly birds, both in a wild state, and in confinement. They 

 are very social. They nidificate mostly in holes of trees, or even in 

 walls, occasionally on the ground, lining their nest profusely with 

 hair and feathers ; and they lay very numerous eggs, usually white 

 with red spots. A few build pendulous nests like the JBgithaline 

 group. 



Of late they have been divided into several genera, varying 

 chiefly in the mode of coloration, crest, and length of tail, but 

 also in the length and strength of the bill. I shall adopt some of 

 these genera in accordance with my previous practice, for, though 

 not very well marked, structurally, they each comprise several 

 nearly allied species. 



The first of these is a well marked group, admitted by all. 



Gen. -^GiTHALiscus, Cabanis. 



Syn. Orites Moehr. — Psaltria, T., and Paroides, Brehm, apud 

 Auct. (in part) Acanthiparus, apud Gould. 



Char. — Bill short, small, conic ; tail somewhat lengthened, of 

 small size ; plumage mixed with rufous, not crested. 



The folio win o- birds have been usually classed under Orites, 

 but the type of that genus, F. caudatus, or the long-tailed Tit of 

 Europe, has naked orbits, a still shorter beak, much longer tail, 

 and is very distinct in form and habits. 



634. ^githaliscus erythrocephalus, V^igoes. 



Parus, apud Vigors, F. Z. S. 1831— Gould, Cent. H. Birds, 

 pi. 30, f. 1— -Blyth. Cat. 550— Horsf., Cat. 606 — Gould, Birds 

 of Asia, pt. 7, pi. 11, Fijiong-samyi, Lepch. 

 The Red-headed Tit. 



Descr. — Head above and nape rufous ; back of neck, back, 

 and rump, cinereous, tinged Avith reddish ou tlie rump and upper 



