1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 201 



japonicus and recognized as deserving of a separate (though varietal 

 name "forms" like P. brevirostris and P. baicalensis. 



From the series which I have before me I see no difference between 

 the present case and that of P. britannicus, neither in the quality nor 

 in the quantity of the additional coloring matter in the British forms. 

 The Coal-Tit is considerably more bluish in the gray, and consequently 

 the suffusion of buff in P. britannicus causes the back to look more olive. 

 Intermediate forms occur in both. Very well ! Therefore we give them 

 trinominals, calling one P. atcr britannicus, the other P. palustris dres- 

 seri. I am quite unable to appreciate the consistency or logic of recog- 

 nizing the former and rejecting the latter. 



In addition to the difference in color, it a^jpears to me, that P. dresseri 

 has a shorter tail than true P. palustris, as I have found the longest 

 tail-feathers in the former averaging 49"'™, against SS""™ in the latter, 

 while the other dimensions seem to be nearly the same.* 



* In default of a better place I wish to correct here a quotation in the synonymy of 

 P.horealis as given by Sharpe and Dresser (B. of Eur., Ill, p. 107), aud by Gadow 

 (Cat. B. Brit. Mus., VIII, p. 51.) These gentlemen regard " Parus fruticeli Wallengr., 

 Naumaunia, 1854, p. 141," as a synonym of P. borealis, while in reality Wallengreen 

 proposed the new name for "P. 2)alustris Auetoram," regarding, as he did, P. borcaU-s 

 Selys as a synonym of P. palustris LiN. We hold that Linnieus's diagnosis is equally 

 applicable to both forms, aud that the name, therefore, is to be applied to that one, 

 to which it was first restricted by Selys Longckamps. P.fruticeti Wallengr., there- 

 fore, is a synonym of what we consider P. palustris vera. 



Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, D. C, January 21, 1886. 



