H. F. WITHERBY: PLUMAGES. 101 



First Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 with the exception of the remiges, primary-coverts and 

 rectrices. 



Forehead, lores and crown glossy blue-black ; sides of hind-neck, 

 extending on to the mantle, jet-black ; middle of hind-neck, extending 

 on to the m,antle, white ; scapulars and back grey, washed with olive- 

 buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts olive-buff ; ear-coverts, cheeks and 

 sides of neck white ; chin, throat and tipper-breast black, with white 

 tips to a few of the feathers ; breast and centre of belly white ; sides of 

 belly, flanks and under tail-coverts buff ; under wing -coverts and axillaries 

 white tinged with buff ; tail-feathers, primaries and secondaries and 

 primary-coverts as in the Juvenile ; greater and median coverts brownish- 

 black, with narrow blue -grey edges and white tips ; lesser coverts 

 brownish-black, with long blue-grey fringes and occasionally tipped 

 with buff. 



N.B. — The tips to the innermost median wing-coverts are often buff 

 or tinged with buff, and the intensity of the buff colour on the back 

 and flanks varies individually. 



First Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion and fading. 



The black of the head becomes duller- and less glossy ; the back 

 becomes blue-grey and the rump more greenish ; the throat and upper- 

 breast become blacker through the abrasion of the white tips ; the flanks 

 become paler ; the white tips of the secondaries become worn off and 

 those of the wing-coverts become much reduced in size. 



N.B. — The differences between this plumage and the First Winter- 

 Plumage are most marked in much-worn specimens, which often closely 

 resemble Parus ater ater in the colour of the back. 



Adult Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 and cannot be distinguished from the First Winter-Plumage. 



Adult Summer-Plumage. Acquired in the same manner 

 as the First Summer-Plumage, and cannot be distinguished 

 from it. 



N.B. — Females differ from males in all plumages by the black on the 

 throat being narrower and not extending so far down the upper-breast. 

 Wings of females average 58*3 mm. ; of males 60 '3 mm. 



THE BRITISH MARSH-TITMOUSE. 



Parus palustris dresseri, Stejneger. 

 Male and Female. 



Down-Plumage. Grey. Distribution — Inner supra-orbital, 

 occipital, humeral and spinal {fide C. B. Ticehurst, Vol. II., 

 p. 190). 



Juvenile Plumage. Acquired while in the nest, the Do^v^l- 

 Plumage being completely moulted. 



Forehead, lores, crown and nape dull, sooty-black, extending on 

 to the mantle ; mantle, scapulars, back, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 greyish-brown ; ear-coverts, cheeks and sides of neck white ; chin and 

 throat brownish-black, the feathers of the throat being tipped with white ; 



