158 
VARID/K. 
JiXSESSOIiES. 
DENTIROSTRES. ‘?’- 
PLATE LXXVI. 
GREATER TITMOUSE. 
Pabus aiajor. 
The present species is the largest of its family, and very 
generally known. It is distributed all over Europe, and 
is more numerous in the colder regions than in the warmer, 
extendinff as far north as the utmost bounds of the forests. 
O 
It is also found throughout Asia. In these vast regions 
the Titmouse is indigenous, and in most of them some 
are found to remain nearly throughout the year, but the 
greater part migrate from their extreme northern boundaries 
in autumn, and their numbers are found greatly to increase 
in the temperate regions at that season. This movement 
is caused by the impossibility that these and other grani- 
vorous birds find of obtaining a suflficiency of food in the 
north, when the ground is covered by snowg or so hardened 
by frost that their chance of subsistence would be small. 
In England, their migratory movements are but little 
perceived, but on the vast continent of Europe and Asia, 
where the different seasons are far more distinct, the mi¬ 
grators may be seen, during September and October, flying 
in great numbers from north-east to south-west, apparently 
hurrying along, as if to overtake one another. It is gene¬ 
rally remarked, and with truth, that these birds do not return 
in spring northward, in such great numbers as they passed 
southward in autumn, many having doubtless fallen a prey 
