524 



PERCHING BIRDS 



to China and Japan, while they also occur in the Caucasus and Asia 

 Minor. The typical representative of the species is, however, restricted 

 to Europe and Asia Minor ; while even in northern Scandinavia and 

 the Alps it is replaced by a bird generally regarded as a distinct 

 species {P. horcalis), but which, like the Asiatic bird, may perhaps be 

 better classed as a race. Be this as it ina\', in the British Isles the 

 marsh-titmouse, although by no means common, is very generally 



distributed over England and Wales, 

 but in Scotland it is a \ery local bird, 

 found more commonly in the Lothians 

 than elsewhere. In Ireland, where it 

 was formerly observed near Belfast, as 

 well as in County Dublin and Kildare, 

 it is now exceedingly rare, so much so 

 indeed that no specimens seem to have 

 been taken of late years. 



W'h}' this species should have 

 been called the marsh-titmouse is not 

 apparent, as its habits are generally 

 the same as those of the other mem- 

 bers of the group. Indeed, the chief 

 point in this respect seems to be the 

 neater construction of the nest, which 

 is, however, composed of the ordinary 

 materials. The eggs, five to eight 

 in a clutch, are thickly spotted with 

 rufous and chestnut-brown. 

 The British marsh-tit {Pariis palnstris dresscri) is a local race, 

 allied, not to the light-coloured Scandinavian J\ palustris typictis, but 

 to P. palnstris lous^irostris of the Rhine, Belgium, Holland, and Erance. 

 The British race differs by its smaller size, and the darker and more 

 olive-brown tint of the upper-parts. 



THE ROWLAND WARD STUDIOS 



MAKSH-nTMOUSK. 



Willow-Titmouse ^"o'lsidcrable controversy has taken place with 

 (ParusatrieapiUus).'!'^'''''^ ^° ^^'"^ ^'^'^Scd existence of a British willow- 

 titmouse {Pants atricapillus kleiuschuiidti). It has 

 been stated that the principal differences between willow-titmice and 

 marsh-titmice are that the feathers on the crown and forehead are 

 longer and more loosely constructed in the former than in the latter. 

 The edges of these feathers are al.so glo.s.sy black in the marsh- 

 titmouse, thus causing the crown to be glos.sy and of a deeper 



