PASSERINE. 265 
large blackish spot on the breast of the male. From the south of 
Europe, and the deserts of Asia. But especially, 
Al. tartarica, and mutabilis, and Tanagra sibirica, Gm.—Alouette 
de Tartarie, Sparm. Mus. Carls. pl. xix.; Vieill. Galer. 160. The 
plumage of the adult black, undulated above with grey. It occa- 
sionally wanders into Europe *. 
In others, the bill is elongated, slightly compressed, and arcuated, 
which connects them with Upupa and Promerops. Such is 
Al. africana, Gm.; Le Sirli, Eni. 712; Vieill. Galer. 159. 
Common in all the sandy plains of Africa; its plumage scarcely 
differs from that of the Arvensis +. 
Parus, Lin. 
The Titmouse has a slender, short, conical and straight bill, furnished 
with little hairs at the base, and the nostrils concealed among the feathers. 
It is a genus of very active little birds, which are continually flitting and 
climbing from branch to branch, suspending themselves therefrom in all 
sorts of positions, rending apart the seeds on which they feed, devouring 
insects wherever they see them, and not sparing even small birds when 
they happened to find them sick, and are able to put an endto them. They 
lay up stores of seeds, build in the holes of old trees, and lay more eggs 
than any of the Passerinez. There are six species of Parus, properly so 
called, in France. 
P. major, L.; La Charbonniére, Enl. 3.1; Naum. 94, 1. (The 
Great Titmouse). An olive colour above; yellow beneath; the 
head, as well as a longitudinal band on the breast, black: a white 
triangle on each cheek. Very common in copses and gardens. 
P. ater, L.; La petite charbonnieére, Frisch, I. pl. xiii. 2; Naum. 
94, 2. Smaller than the preceding; an ash colour in place of the 
olive, and whitish instead of the yellow. Prefers the great pine 
forests. 
P. palustris, L.; La Nonnette; Enl. 3,3; Naum. 94, 4. (The 
Marsh Titmouse). Ash-coloured above; whitish beneath; a black 
calotte. 
P. ceruleus, L.; La Mesange a téte bleue; Enl. 3,2; Naum. 95, 
1, 2. (The Blue-headed Titmouse). Olive above; yellowish beneath ; 
top of the head a fine blue; the cheek white, surrounded with black ; 
forehead white. A pretty little bird, very common in the underwood. 
P. cristatus, L.; Le M. huppée, Enl. 502, 2. (The Crested Tit- 
mouse). Brownish above; whitish beneath; throat and circumfer- 
ence of the cheek, black; a little tuft mottled with black and white. 
P. caudatus, L.; Le M. & longue queue, Enl. 502, 3; Naum. 95, 
4, 5,6. (The long-tailed Titmouse). Black above; wing coverts, 
* Add, the 7'racal, Vaill. Afr. pl. exci;—the Al. gros bec, Id., pl. exciii. 
+ Add, 4/. bifasciata, Rupp. pl. 5; Col. 393. 
N.B. Swainson separates from ALAuDA the Bateleur of Vaill. pl. 194, under the 
name of BracHonyx; his Sentinelle, 195, under that of Macronyx; and of my 
division with long beaks he makes his CERTHILAUDA. 
VOL. I. Z 
