Io8 MARSH-TITMOUSE. 



treated the variations in both as merely those of race. In 

 Scandinavia north of lat. 6i°, Northern Russia, the Alps and the 

 Carpathians, the Continental form is mainly represented by a larger 

 and still greyer sub-species, P. horealis, variations of which are 

 found across Asia to Japan. The typical form is distributed through- 

 out Central and most of Western Europe down to the Pyrenees ; 

 but in Portugal it has not yet been identified, and in Spain, I only 

 observed it at Granada and Cordova, as did the late Lord Lilford at 

 Santander ; while it is rare in Southern Italy and Greece. In the 

 latter country, as well as in the rest of South-eastern Europe, Asia 

 Minor, and Northern Persia, it is almost replaced by P. /ugubris, a 

 larger bird, with a dark brown head and a stout bill. 



From the middle of April to May the Marsh-Titmouse makes its 

 nest in holes in trees — especially willows and alders, in decayed 

 stumps near the ground, or behind loose bark, or in burrows made 

 by rats and mice in banks. The bird has been observed to hew 

 out its own abode, carefully removing in its bill the chips of wood 

 that would otherwise betray the site, and leaving a very narrow- 

 entrance, although the hole is often of considerable size inside. The 

 nest itself is composed of moss, wool, rabbits' fur and hair felted 

 together, and is often lined with willow-down ; the 5-8 eggs are 

 white, spotted with dull red — sometimes almost liver-colour: measure- 

 ments •61 by '47 in. The alarm-note is a rapidly uttered tay, tay, 

 tay, tay, much more metallic than in other species ; the song being 

 a simple sis, sis, sis, see. The food consists largely of insects, in 

 pursuit of which the bird has been seen to thrust its bill under the 

 scales of the rough bark of a Scotch fir, and to prize them off with 

 a forcible jerk ; in the autumn and winter however, seeds (especially 

 those of the sun-flower), beech-mast and berries are consumed ; the 

 bird holding them in its claw like a parrot, while getting out the 

 edible parts. Its habits during the breeding-season are more retiring 

 than those of other Tits. 



Adult : upper part of head and nape glossy black ; cheeks dull 

 white, turning to buff on the sides of the neck ; back olive-brown, 

 inclining to grey in Continental specimens ; rump rather browner 

 olive ; quills and tail ash-brown with the outer margins paler ; chin 

 and throat black ; remaining under parts dull white, turning to buff 

 on the flanks ; bill black ; legs and feet lead-colour. Length 4*5 in. ; 

 wing to the tips of the 4th — 5th, and longest quills 2*45 in. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage ; in the young the colours are duller and more 

 olive-brown. 



