M° Lloyd's natural history. 



Adult Male. — General colour above ruddy brown, paler and 

 more isabelline on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings light 

 brown, the feathers externally edged with the brown colour of 

 the back, slightly tinged with olive on the quills, the greater 

 coverts with a faint tip of whitish, forming an indistinct wing- 

 bar ; tail-feathers ashy-brown with olive-brown margins ; crown 

 of head glossy blue-black, forming a cap which extends back- 

 wards down the nape ; eyelids black, dotted with white ; sides 

 of face and ear-coverts ashy-white, like the under surface of the 

 body, the sides of which are clear isabelline buff; chin and 

 upper throat black ; thighs, axillaries, and under wing-coverts 

 like the sides of the body, the latter white near the edge of the 

 wing; quill-lining ashy-white ; bill black ; feet leaden-grey; 

 iris hazel. Total length, 4-5 inches; oilmen, 0-35 ; wing, 2*45; 

 tail, 1 "95 ; tarsus, 06. 



Adult Female.— Similar to the male in colour. Total length, 

 4-5 inches ; wing, 2-4. 



Young. — Has the colours of the adult, but has the cap duller 

 black, not glossy, and confined to the crown of the head, not 

 extending down the nape; the white colour of the under-parts 

 very pure, and the light tips to the greater wing-coverts forming 

 a distinct bar. 



Note. — Dr. Stejneger has separated our British Marsh-Tit as a sub- 

 species on account of its darker colour, more olive back, clearer and 

 mure buffish-brown rump, much browner flanks and shorter tail, the 

 outer pail of tail-feathers being shorter than the others. On comparing 

 a scries of specimens from different localities of Europe we find that 

 Dr. Stejnegcr's conclusions are borne out to a small extent. The 

 differences in the case of the Marsh-Tits are not so marked as in the 

 1 its, and as the former group vary much with locality and altitude, it 

 may be that connecting links will be Lund between our British bird and 

 its continental ally. 



, \Yith regard to the shortness of the outer tail-feathers in the 

 British bird, we find no difference, in this respect, between /'. 

 ri and P. palustris of the continent of Europe. The same 

 may be said of the supposed difference in length of tail; oaf 

 series in the British Museum does not confirm Dr. Stejn 

 supposition. As regards the darker brown colour, this is un- 

 doubtedly a feature of the British Marsh Tit, and the rump is 

 more clearly marked than in the continental bird; the Hanks 



