Pari — Pardalus — Passeres 133 



The third Parus the Engh'sh name the Nun from the 

 resemblance that it bears to a veiled sister. 



The Pari nest in hollow trees, they feed not only on 

 worms, but on hempseed and nuts, which they are wont to 

 bore with their sharp-pointed beaks, and thence extract the 

 kernels. The two former kinds are very fond of suet. The 

 Greatest Parus, when the spring arrives, at once utters a 

 sort of little song, short and not very pleasing, it is dumb 

 at other times ; its breast is yellow with a somewhat big 

 black line running along the middle. Of the other kinds 

 the bodies are diversified by white, black, grey, and blue. 



Of the Pardalus. 



Pardalus, in English (as is believed) a pluver, in German 

 eyn pulver. 



Aristotle. 



The Pardalus again is held to be a certain little 

 bird, which for the most part flies about in flocks, and 

 cannot be seen solitary ; it is wholly grey in colour, 

 and in size comes nearest to the Molliceps : but it 

 has strong wings and feet, and utters a frequent but 

 not deep-toned cry. 



If that bird be the Pardalus which I suspect, it runs very 

 swiftly, and by its cry mimics the whistle which shepherds 

 and post-boys make with pouting lips. It has the feathers 

 almost ash-colour, each sprinkled with one yellow spot, and 

 is much bigger than the little bird which I suppose to be 

 the Molliceps. It well may be that there are several kinds of 

 this bird. 



Of the Passeres. 



(Trpovd6<!, passer, in English a sparrow, in German eyn 

 miische or eyn spatz. Some call it eyn liiningk, the Saxons 

 eyn sperlingk. 



The Passer, Aristotle says, both dusts itself and washes, 

 and is of all birds most wanton. And though Aristotle has 

 made only one kind of Passeres, yet it is clear that there are 

 three kinds, which he never knew ; but which the later 



