46 CORVIDJE. 



Genus 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, 

 longitudinal, ventral band, and in this character agree with Machlo- 

 lophus, which, however, possesses a long pointed crest. 



The True Tits are found over a considerable portion of the world. 

 Pour species inhabit the Indian Empire, one being extremely 

 common over the whole of the plains ; another is found as a com- 

 paratively rare visitor from China and the East, and" two others are 

 local, being confined to certain portions of the Empire only. 



In Parus the feathers of the crown are very slightly lengthened, but 

 do not form a crest ; the tail is considerably shorter than the wing, 

 and the outer feather falls short of the tip of the tail by about the 

 length of the hind claw. 



Of the Titmice which occur in Asia, and may hereafter be found 

 within the limits of this work, may be mentioned : P. persicus, a 

 Persian race of the European P. cceruleus ; P. cyanus, which has 

 been found in Yarkand ; and P. Jt-.ivijjectus, which occurs in 

 Turkestan. 



P. semilarvatus, which at one time was supposed to occur in the 

 Himalayas, is now known to come from the Philippine Islands. 

 There is no evidence to show that it has ever been found in India, 

 and I therefore omit it. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Lower plumage white. 



a'. Back and rump ashy grey P. atriceps, p. 46. 



b'. Back yellow ; rump ashy grey P. minor, p. 48. 



c'. Back and rump black P. nuchalis, p. 49. 



b. Lower plumage yellow P. monticola, p. 49. 



Fig. 20. Head of P. atriceps. 



31. Parus atriceps. The Indian Grey Tit. 



Parus atriceps, Hprsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 160 (1822) ; Legge, 

 Birds Ceyl. pt. ii, p. 557 ; Oates, B. B. i ; p. 125 ; id. in Humes N. 

 $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 31. 



Parus cinereus, Vieill. Tdbl. Enc. et Method, ii, p. 506 (1823) ; Blyth, 

 Cat. p. 103; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 370; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 278; 

 Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. ii, p. 52 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xxxviii, 

 pt. ii, p. 181 ; Hume fy Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 230 ; Gadow, 

 Cat. B. M. viii p. 16. 



