PARID.E. 221 



country. Fischer dui'ing his travels in Bast Africa obtained 

 these birds at Pare, Matiom, Serian, Loeru and on the 

 Werabaere plateau, so it appears to be common throughout 

 German East Africa, and ranges northward into the Somali 

 country, where Mr. Elliot has met with it at Hullier and 

 Daboya, and Mr. Hawker collected specimens in November at 

 Daboloe and Sheikh Wufli, in December at Ujawaji, and in 

 January at Jifa Meder, and writes : " The habits of this bird 

 are very similar to those of the Tits in the way it hunts for 

 its food. It has a very pretty song, which it utters as it is 

 feeding." 



Family V. PARIDiE. 



Bill shorter than the head, generally conical without a notch, with the 

 keel inclining upwards, and as deep as broad at the nostrils. Tongue 

 obtuse and beset at the tip with horny bristles. Nostrils rounded, not 

 placed in a groove, but somewhat hidden by plumes. Eictal bristles few 

 and short or obsolete. Wing short and rounded, of ten primaries ; first 

 or bastard primary, in Ethiopian species, about half the length of the 

 second; fourth, fifth and sixth primaries about equal and the longest. Tail 

 of twelve feathers, square and shorter than the wing in all the Ethiopian 

 species. Tarsus scaled, rather short and strong, not twice the length of the 

 hind toe without claw. Sexes generally similar in plumage at all ages. 

 Nest covered in so that the eggs in it are never exposed to the light. Eggs 

 white, generally spotted with brownish red. 



KEY TO THE GENERA AND SUBGENERA. 



a. Bill stout and rather blunt, culmen arched ; 



crown and most of the head black. . . . Parus. 



a 1 . Entire head black or nearly so. Subgenus. Penthekes. 



b 1 . A pale patch on the head. Subgenus. . Parus. 



b. Bill wedge-shaped and very sharply pointed, 



with the culmen nearly straight ; little or no 



black on the head jEgithalus. 



