THE LONG-TAILED TITS. I47 



segregation of the two forms. The specimens sent to the 

 British Museum by our friend Count von Berlepsch have the 

 other character of the true AL. caudatus, viz., the whiter second, 

 aries, and there is nothing, therefore, to show that they are not 

 the immature birds of the northern race, s£. caudatus. 



In Spain and the greater part of Italy a distinct species of 

 Long-tailed Tit, AL. irbii, occurs. How far this form extends 

 into France has never yet been determined, but that it occurs 

 in that country is shown by a specimen which we ourselves 

 shot at Mongeron (Seine-et-Oise), not far from Paris. 



The members of the genus jEgithahis do not breed in holes, 

 but make a moss nest in the open, and in this feature the 

 genus Algitlialiscus follows suit. 



I. THE LONG-TAILED TIT. iEGITHALUS VAGANS. 



Mecisiura vaga?is, Leach, Cat. Mamm, &c. } Brit. Mus., p. 17 

 (1816). 



Mecistura rosea, Blyths ed. White's Nat. Hist. Selborne, p. 1 1 1 

 (1836). 



Mecistura lougicaudata, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 454 (1839). 



Acredula caudata (nee. Linn.), Newt. ed. Yarr., Br. B., i , p. 504 

 (1874); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B., pt. iv. (1887); Saun- 

 ders, Man., p. 93 (1889). 



Acredula rosea, Sharpe, Ibis, 1868, p. 300; Dresser, B. Eur., 

 hi., p. 63, pi. 103 (1872); B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 25 

 (1883); Gadow, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., viii., p. 61 (1883); 

 Wyatt, Brit. B., pi. 7 (1894). 



Ad-alt Male. — General colour black and rose-colour above, the 

 hind-neck and mantle being glossy black ; the scapulars, lower 

 back, and rump rosy, always more or less mottled with the 

 blackish bases to the feathers ; upper wing- and tail-coverts 

 black ; quills black, the inner secondaries rather broadly edged 

 with white; tail-feathers black, the three outer ones white along 

 the outer web and diagonally across the tip, the white increasing 

 towards the outermost ; crown of head dull white ; lores and a 

 broad eyebrow black, extending in a band along the side of the 

 crown ; feathers round the eye purer white ; ear-coverts, cheeks, 

 and throat, ashy-white, with some blackish streaks on the fore- 

 neck ; remainder of under surface of body light rosy, the under 



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