Ornithology of Cyprus. 603 



found several nests in tlie hills, both with fresh eggs and 

 young, in early May, and obtained the bird both in the plains 

 and on the summit of Troodos. I propose to deal with the 

 variations in plumage to which this species is locally subject 

 under the head of the next species. 



233. Subsp. Parus aphrodite Madarasz. 



From the series of skins of Great Titmice sent to him 

 by Glaszner, Madarasz separated five, from which he de- 

 scribed Parus aphrodite, a form apparently intermediate in 

 appearance between Parus minor Temm. & Schlegel — the 

 Japanese Titmouse — and Parus major Linn. In addition, 

 however, to tlie separated Parus aphrodite, Madarasz found 

 some fifteen specimens which he regards as crosses between 

 Parus major and P. aphrodite : these are smaller than 

 typical P. major and somewhat paler on the breast. The 

 specimens of P. aphrodite were taken in February, March, 

 May, and October, but the subspecies is evidently resident. 

 Whether in Cyprus P. major is throwing off a form approxi- 

 mating to P. minor, or whether, as with its population, 

 Cyprus is in the case of these birds the meeting-place of east 

 and west, it is hard to say. One can only surmise, in view of 

 the stationary character of the Great Titmouse and of the 

 great numerical superiority of the typical P. major, that, if 

 the latter view be correct, it is remarkable that such a form 

 as P. aphrodite is still in existence. If, on the other hand, 

 the former is the right theory, it is again remarkable that 

 the form is apparently uncommon, unless the offshoot is of 

 recent development. 



Personally I have never handled a sufficient number of 

 specimens of Cypriote Great Titmice to enable me to comment 

 usefully on the validity of Madanisz's conclusions. The 

 nests and eggs of local Great Titmice which I have seen 

 differ in no way from those of the typical British species. 

 The note of the Great Titmouse in Cyprus seems weak.. 



239. Subsp. Parus Cypriotes Dresser. 

 The existence of the Coal Titmouse in Cyprus was known 



2s2 



