446 PARCS PALUSTRIS. 



moderate length ; the quills nineteen, slender ; the first about 

 half the length of the second, which is about the same length 

 as the ninth, the fourth longest, but very little exceeding the 

 fifth. The tail is rather long, slender, a little emarginate as 

 well as rounded, the feathers pointed. 



The bill is black, the iris dark brown ; the feet and claws 

 livid-blue. The uj)per part of the head, and the hind part of 

 the neck are black, with a tinge of brown ; the cheeks and 

 sides of the neck greyish-white ; the back, scajDulars, and up- 

 per tail-coverts, greyish-brown, with a tinge of green ; the 

 quills, their coverts, and the tail-feathers dark brownish-grey, 

 margined with yellowish grey, the secondary quills with yel- 

 lowish-brown, the outer tail-feathers having their outer webs 

 paler. The throat and fore-neck are greyish-black, the feathers 

 tipped with greyish- white ; the rest of the lower parts brownish- 

 white, with a tinge of yellow. 



Length to end of tail 4^ inches ; hill along the ridge j^^ ; 

 wing from flexure 2j% ; tail 2^% ; tarsus j§ ; hind toe /^ ; 

 its claw 1% ; second toe j%, its claw j% ; third toe ^-^, its claw 

 ^ ; fourth toe |tj, its claw /g. 



Female. — The female differs from the male only in having 

 the colours somewhat duller, especially the black tints, which 

 are more tinged with brown. 



Habits. — This species is not nearly so common in the 

 southern districts of Scotland as the Coal Tit, and I am not 

 aware of its having been met with farther north than Fifeshire, 

 although it may be more generally distributed than is supposed, 

 it being very liable to be confounded with the species just 

 named, although easily distinguishable by a person acquainted 

 with its characters, and somewhat different in its habits. In 

 England it has been traced from the northern counties to those 

 about London, and appears to be in some districts more abun- 

 dant than the Coal Tit. Although named the Marsh Tit, it 

 does not confine itself to marshy places, but examines the trees 

 and bushes growing in the driest soil as readily as those of 

 swampy ground ; and I have seen it alight on herbaceous 



