Family PANURIDZ. 
Genus PANURUS. 
Parus apud Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 342 (1766). 
Panurus, Koch, Baier. Zool. p. 202 (1816). 
Calamophilus apud Leach, Syst. Cat. M. & B. Brit. Mus. p. 17 (1816). 
Mystacinus apud Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 556. 
Aigithalus apud Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 975. 
Paroides apud Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 195 (1847). 
Iv has been a moot question where the present genus should be placed. By all the earlier 
authors it was placed amongst the Paride; but Blyth asserted that it was far more closely allied 
to the Shrikes. Some years later, however, he modified his views and placed it near Estrelda. 
Macgillivray, on the other hand, considered that, though distantly related to the Reed-Buntings, 
it is closely related to the American genus Ammodromus, and in 1864 he placed it between 
Pyrrhula and Certhia. n 1863 Dr. Jerdon treated it as being related to the Timeliide near 
Pyctorhis; and when Mr. Sharpe and I worked out the range of this species, we concluded 
that it was more closely allied to certain Drymecine forms, especially Sphencacus. Professor 
Sundevall, again, removed this genus from the Paride and placed it in the family Viduine; but 
Mr. Bartlett is of opinion that it is closely allied to Liothrix, especially as regards its nest and 
eggs; Professor Parker, however, assures me that, judging from the cranial and palatal features, 
it is a Titmouse, though an aberrant one, and not distantly related to Suthora; I have therefore 
decided to place it in a separate family next to the Paridee. When Mr. Sharpe and I wrote the 
article on the Bearded Reedling we decided to use the generic title of Calamophilus, Leach ; 
but further research has shown me that we were wrong in so doing; for Leach (who, in 1816, 
first used this title) gave no generic characters whatever, whereas Koch (who, in the same year, 
proposed the name Panurus) gave a tolerably full generic diagnosis, and his name should therefore 
be used in preference to that of Leach, and the species should stand as Panurus biarmicus. 
This species, which is the representative of the genus, inhabits the Palearctic Region only. 
It is a lively active bird, frequenting reed-covered places in the fen-districts, and feeds on insects, 
seeds, and small mollusks. 
It builds an open cup-shaped nest amongst the reeds, and deposits white eggs finely speckled, 
splashed, and irregularly lined with reddish brown. 
Panurus biarmicus, the type of the genus, has the bill subconical, upper mandible broader 
and longer than the lower one, and decurved towards the tip; nostrils basal, oval, partially 
covered with reflected bristly feathers; wings somewhat short, having ten primaries, the first 
quill shorter than the coverts, the second slightly shorter than the seventh, the third, fourth, 
and fifth nearly equal, the fourth being the longest; tail very long, much graduated; tarsus 
long, covered in front with five plates and three inferior scutellz; feet tolerably stout, the outer 
toe shorter than the inner one; claws long and stout; feathers on each side of the throat 
elongated, forming, as it were, moustaches. 
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