MARSH-TITMOUSE 



523 



white bar formed by the tips of their coverts. As usual in the 

 group, the plumage of the females is less bright ; and this dulness also 

 obtains in the young, which are further characterised by a yellow tinge 

 on the white areas. 



With a general range very similar to that of the great titmouse, 

 the present species does not occur in North Ikitain beyond Sutherland 



COAI, TITMOUSE (MALK). 



and Caithness or in the Outer Hebrides. The eggs, usually from five 

 to eight in number, are of the normal titmouse-type, but the rufous dots 

 are very abundant, and tend to collect at the large end. 



The British coal-titmouse {Panis ater britaniiicus) differs from 

 the continental {P. ater typiciis) in having the back greyish olive-brown 

 instead of bluish grey. It is never difficult to distinguish the British 

 coal-tit if compared with the North European {P. ater). 



Marsh-Titmouse ^^'^^ marsh -titmouse differs from the preceding 

 (Parus palustris) species mainly in having no white wing-bars, and 

 no white spot on the nape of the neck, the latter, 

 like the crown of the head, being uniformh' glossy black ; the rest 

 of the upper-parts is ashy gre}% while the sides of the head and 

 the whole of the under-parts are dull white, with a huffish tinge. 

 The two sexes are alike in colour ; and young birds differ merely 

 by their duller and more olive-brown tone of colour. 



Titmice, more or less clearly related to the present species, are to 

 be found all over Europe (that is to say, as far north as the Arctic 

 Circle in Scandinavia), and extend across Asia north of the Himalaya 



