PARUS. 73 



Keij to Genera. 



A. Tail slightly rounded. 



a. Head not crested. 



«'. Outermost tail-feathers falling short 



of ^the tip of the tail by length of 



hind claw only Parus, p. 73. 



h'. Outermost tail-feathers falling short 



of the tip by length of hind toe and 



claw ^Egithaliscus, p. 93. 



b. Head crested. 



c'. Wing never as much as 90 mm Machlolophus, p. 89. 



d'. Wing never as short as 100 mm Melanochlora, p. 101. 



B. Tail square or very slightly forked. 



c. Head crested Lophophanes, p. 83. 



d. Head not crested. 



e. Plumage above yellowish green Sylviparus, p. 88. 



/'. No green on upper plumage Eemiz, p. 100. 



Geuus PARUS Linn., 1766. 



The genus Parus, of which the Great Tit of England may be 

 considered the type, contains those Tits which are not crested 

 and in which the tail is slightly rounded. They have a broad, 

 black, ventral band and in this character agree with Macliloloplius, 

 which, however, possesses a long pointed crest. 



The true Tits are found over a considerable portion oE the 

 world. !Five species inhabit the Indian Empire, two being found 

 over the greater part of Europe and Asia, i. e. major and palustris ; 

 two, nuchalis and moiiticolas, being local ; and the fifth, cyanus, a 

 very rare visitor. 



In Parus the feathers of the crown are rather long, but do not 

 form a crest ; the tail is considerably shorter than the wing, and 

 the outer feathers are shorter than the central ones by about the 

 length of tlie hind chiw. 



Key to Sjjecies. 



A. Plumage not blue and white. 



a. Lower plumage whitish buff, or fawn, but 



not bright yellow. 



a'. Back and rump ashy or greenish P. major, p. 73. 



b'. Back and rump black P. nuchalis, p. 79. 



c'. Back and rump olive-ln'own P. palustris, p. 81. 



b. Lower plumage bright yellow P. monticohis, p. 80. 



B. Plumage all blue and white above P. cyanus, p. 81. 



Parus major. 



The Great-Tits or Grej-Tits may be divided iuto two groups — 

 the first group with green backs and yellow under parts, the 

 second with grey backs and tlie under parts ranging from 

 practically pure white to fawn or buff. 



The first group, that of the true Parus major, ranges over the 

 whole of Europe, extreme Northern Africa and Northern Asia to 



