182 AMPELIN^E. 



Bottle Tom. Bottle Tit. Long-tailed Mag. Huck-muck. 

 Poke-pudding. Mum-ruffin. 



Parus caudatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 342. Parus candatus, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 296. Mecistura longicaudata, Long- 

 tailed Mufflin, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 454. 



FAMILY XXII. AMPELIN^E. AMPELINE 

 BIRDS, Oil CHATTERERS. 



The family of Piprinee, of which we have no represen- 

 tatives in Britain, is closely allied to that of Parinse on 

 the one hand, and on the other to the Ampelinse, of which 

 only a single species occurs accidentally with us. 



In their general form the Ampelinse are rather full 

 and compact, with the neck short, the head oblong, and 

 of moderate size. Bill shorter than the head, broad at 

 the base, and having a triangular form when viewed from 

 above ; upper mandible with the dorsal line decurved, the 

 ridge narrow, the edges direct, the notches small, but dis- 

 tinct, the tip small and deflected ; lower mandible smaller, 

 with the angle wide, the dorsal line slightly convex, the 

 edges rather inflected, the tip very narrow. Feet small ; 

 tarsi generally short ; toes small or moderate, the first 

 strongest, and considerably larger than the lateral, of 

 which the outer is a little longer, the soles flattened ; 

 claws of moderate size, well curved, compressed, laterally 

 grooved, very acute. Plumage soft and blended ; wings 

 of moderate length, or rather long, with nineteen quills ; 

 tail short or moderate, of twelve feathers. 



The Ampelinse are chiefly natives of warm climates, 

 especially of those of America. Their food consists of 

 soft fruits and insects ; but their habits are little known. 

 From the width of their mouth and the triangular form 

 of their bill, as well as their small feet, they might per- 

 haps be as well referred to the Myiotherinee as to the 

 Cantatrices. 



