176 
PARING. PARUS. 
with the tip abrupt and furnished with four bristles ; the 
oesophagus narrow, without crop ; the stomach roundish, 
somewhat compressed, its lateral muscles moderate, its 
epithelium dense and rugous ; intestine short, of mode- 
rate width ; coeca small and cylindrical. Trachea with 
four inferior laryngeal muscles. Nostrils rather small, 
roundish, and concealed by reversed bristly feathers. 
Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear large and round- | 
ish. Tarsus of moderate length, rather stout, and dis- | 
tinctly scutellate ; toes large, especially the first, the an- 
terior united as far as their second joint, the outer consi- i 
derably longer than the inner ; claws strong, compressed, 
arched, acute. Plumage soft, loose, and full ; wings ra- | 
ther short, concave, rounded ; tail more or less arched, ' 
always narrow, and of twelve feathers. j 
The Parinee inhabit forests, woods, and thickets, where ! 
they search for insects and larvae among the foliage, and | 
in the crevices of the bark, clinging to the twigs, and | 
using every possible variety of attitude. They also feed J 
in part on small seeds, sometimes even on flesh, suet, and i 
various other substances. They advance on the ground j 
by hopping, have a rapid, undulated flight, are bold and | 
courageous, especially in defence of their nests, which are I 
large, formed of moss and lichens, and lined with feathers. 
The eggs are generally numerous, whitish, with brown 
or red spots. Species occur on both continents, and of ! 
the six that inhabit the British Isles none are migratory, j 
GENUS LY. PARUS. TIT. 
Bill short, straight, somewhat conical, strong, compressed ; ij 
upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and decimate, | 
the edges with a slight festoon near the base, but without i 
notch, the point thin-edged, rather blunt when viewed ver- 
tically ; lower mandible with the angle short, the dorsal line i! 
ascending, and more convex than the uppe^, the edges a little 
inflected, the tip rather acute ; gape-line straight. Mouth ' 
very narrow ; upper mandible with three prominent lines ; | 
