72 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



p. cseruleus palmensis Meade Waldo. Darker above and 

 more slaty grey than "tenerififas" ; centre of breast and abdomen 

 pure white ; crown intense blue black. 



Rcsidc7tt. — Palma (Canary Islands). 



P. caeruleus orientalis (Sarudny and Loudoun). Paler than 

 typical form ; white tips to secondaries broader, blue also paler ; 

 below, yellow brighter and more white on abdomen. 



Resident. — S. Russia, Orenburg, south to Uralsk, Kasan and 

 Simbirsk. 



"Parus pleskii" Cabanis found in N. Russia is a hybrid between 

 " cyanus " and " cceruleus." 



Parus cyanus cyanus Pallas. Azure Tit. 



^ 9 Crown and nuchal patch white ; from lores through eye 

 to nape runs a dark blue stripe, joining a dark blue collar ; back 

 and lesser wing coverts grey blue with white tips, greater coverts 

 white with dark blue bases ; outer rectrices white, inner webs 

 grey at base ; inner webs of inner secondaries white ; beneath 

 white, with a blue stripe down breast. Bill blackish horn, cutting 

 edges pale. Legs and feet plumbeous. Wing 67-72. Tarsus 16. 

 Bill 6-7. 



Breeds. — E. Russia and W. Siberia. In winter ranges west 

 to Baltic Provinces and Poland ; exceptionally further west even 

 to Holland and south to Austria and Rumania. 



P. cyanus tianschanicus (Menzbier). Smaller than 

 " cyanus." Wing 65, back slaty grey, outer tail feathers with 

 more grey and less white than in " cyanus " and inner secondaries 

 with less white on inner webs. 



A Siberian breeding race which in winter ranges into east of 

 Russia. 



Parus ater ater L. Coal Tit. Fr. Mesange noire ; Gei\ 

 Tannenmeise ; Ifal. Cincia mora ; Swed. Svartmes. 



^ 9 adult. Above bluish grey, greenish on upper tail coverts ; 

 median and greater wing coverts with white tips ; lower face, sides 

 of neck and nuchal patch white ; beneath whitish, flanks, sides of 

 abdomen and under tail coverts buff, under wing coverts and 

 axillaries white. Bill black. Legs and feet leaden blue. Wing 



