Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/105

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  Genus PARUS Linn., 1766.

The genus Parus, of which the Great Tit of England may be considered the type, contains those Tits which are not crested and in which the tail is slightly rounded. They have a broad, black, ventral band and in this character agree with Machlolophus, which, however, possesses a long pointed crest.

The true Tits are found over a considerable portion of the world. Five species inhabit the Indian Empire, two being found over the greater part of Europe and Asia, i.e. major and palustris; two, nuchalis and monticolus, being local; and the fifth, cyanus, a very rare visitor.

In Parus the feathers of the crown are rather long, but do not form a crest; the tail is considerably shorter than the wing, and the outer feathers are shorter than the central ones by about the length of the hind claw.

Parus major.

The Great-Tits or Grey-Tits may be divided into two groups—the first group with green backs and yellow under parts, the second with grey backs and the under parts ranging from practically pure white to fawn or buff.

The first group, that of the true Parus major, ranges over the whole of Europe, extreme Northern Africa and Northern Asia to