24 BRITISH BIRDS. 



examples from Dr. Hartert, obtained in the " neig-hbour- 

 hoocl of London," and now in the Tring Museum. Mr. 

 Hellmayr compares this subspecies with Parus montanus 

 salicarius of West and Middle Germany, from which he 

 states that it differs in the darker colouring- of the back, 

 which is dark rusty-brown, and in the broad rusty-brown 

 edges of the primaries ; the cream-coloured tinge of the 

 sides of the neck extends up to the base of the bill, and 

 surrounds the chin-spot on the front and sides ; sides of 

 the neck creamy-yellow; underparts deep rusty-yellow. 

 In the third part of the "Birds of the Palsearctic Fauna," 

 Dr. Hartert, as we have already stated, transfers this 

 subspecies to the group of Parus atricapillus, and calls it 

 Parus atricajpillus Meinschmidti {op. cit.,'p. 378). He gives 

 its "terra typica'" as " Coalf all Wood, near Finchley," and 

 states that it is also found near Tunbridge Wells, and in 

 Scotland in the valleys of the Tweed, Forth and Spey. 



Some of my friends have suggested that Kleinschmidt's 

 Tit is merely a form of Parus palustris. But the British 

 form of Parus palustris has been already named P. palustris 

 dresseri, and I do not think there can be room for two 

 subspecies of the same species in our little island. 



Further explanations concerning Parus Meinschmidti 

 and its real status would be very desirable. 



