176 PARING. PARUS. 



with the tip abrupt and furnished with four bristles ; the 

 oesophagus narrow, without crop ; the stomach roundish, 

 somewhat compressed, its lateral muscles moderate, its 

 epithelium dense and rugous ; intestine short, of mode- 

 rate width ; coeca small and cylindrical. Trachea with 

 four inferior laryngeal muscles. Nostrils rather small, 

 roundish, and concealed by reversed bristly feathers. 

 Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear large and round- 

 ish. Tarsus of moderate length, rather stout, and dis- 

 tinctly scutellate ; toes large, especially the first, the an- 

 terior united as far as their second joint, the outer consi- 

 derably longer than the inner ; claws strong, compressed, 

 arched, acute. Plumage soft, loose, and full ; wings ra- 

 ther short, concave, rounded ; tail more or less arched, 

 always narrow, and of twelve feathers. 



The Parinae inhabit forests, woods, and thickets, where 

 they search for insects and larvae among the foliage, and 

 in the crevices of the bark, clinging to the twigs, and 

 using every possible variety of attitude. They also feed 

 in part on small seeds, sometimes even on flesh, suet, and 

 various other substances. They advance on the ground 

 by hopping, have a rapid, undulated flight, are bold and 

 courageous, especially in defence of their nests, which are 

 large, formed of moss and lichens, and lined with feathers. 

 The eggs are generally numerous, whitish, with brown 

 or red spots. Species occur on both continents, and of 

 the six that inhabit the British Isles none are migratory. 



GENUS LV. PARUS. TIT. 



Bill short, straight, somewhat conical, strong, compressed ; 

 upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and declinate, 

 the edges with a slight festoon near the base, but without 

 notch, the point thin-edged, rather blunt when viewed ver- 

 tically ; lower mandible with the angle short, the dorsal line 

 ascending, and more convex than the upper, the edges a little 

 inflected, the tip rather acute ; gape-line straight. Mouth 

 very narrow ; upper mandible with three prominent lines ; 



