32 Mr. H. Seebolim on Messrs. Blakiston and Fryer's 



lected by Schrenk also in the valley of the Amoor, agree 

 with European skins, whilst a second skin from the Araoor 

 has some of the occipital feathers as much developed as in the 

 intermediate forms previously mentioned from Japan. Other 

 skins from Japan, as well as a skin which I procured at Yen- 

 e-saisk, in Central Siberia, cannot be distinguished from 

 European skins. 



206. Parus borealis, Selys. 



I have lately received a fine series of Marsh-Tits from 

 Kras-no-yarsk, in Central Siberia. I had already a good 

 series of these birds, and have now had an opportunity of 

 comparing them with the skins in Dresser^s collection and 

 in the Swinhoe collection. The whole series comprises skins 

 from England to Japan. English skins are the brownest. 

 Skins of P. palustris, Linn., from Italy and Asia Minor are a 

 shade paler, and cannot be distinguished from Chinese skins. 

 Two skins from Japan are decidedly greyer, and form an 

 intermediate link betAveen P. pahistris and P. borealis from 

 Norway. Skins from Archangel are slightly greyer still, but 

 not so grey as skins from the Petchora, the Ob, and the 

 Yenesay, whilst the greyest skins of all are those from Kras- 

 no-yarsk and Lake Baical. The black of the head extends 

 lowest down the back in grey skins from Siberia, and in 

 intermediate skins from Japan ; it is less developed in 

 greyish skins from Archangel, and least so in greyish skins 

 from Norway and brown skins from Europe and China. 



The conclusion I come to is that there is only one spe- 

 cies of Marsh-Tit, which may be split up into an indefinite 

 number of ill-defined subspecies, of which the following may 

 be most worthy of record : — 



P. palustris. Back brown. Black of head extending to 

 the nape. 



P. palustris, subspecies borealis. Back grey. Black of 

 head extending to the nape. 



P. palustris, subspecies japonicus. Back greyish brown. 

 Black of head extending onto the upper back. 



P. palustris, subspecies camtschatkensis. Back pale slate- 

 grey. Black of head extending onto the upper back. 



