W. ROTHSCHILD : THE BRITISH WILLOW TIT. 47 



side by side with the Marsh Tits throughout almost their 

 whole area of distribution, can only be one of two thing-s, 

 either casual aberrations or good species. The fact that 

 Willow Tits have been collected in numbers and that all 

 those from any one district have been found to be similar, 

 shows conclusively that they are not casual aberrations, 

 and therefore they must form a distinct species, as opposed 

 to the Marsh Tits. 



The British form of the Marsh Tit is Parus palustris 

 dresseri, and the British Willow Tit, of which I have 

 before me at Tring fourteen specimens from the following 

 places : 2 from Coalfall Wood, Finchley (1 the type of the 

 subspecies), 5 from St. Leonards, 4 from Hastings, 1 

 from Chersley, Bucks, 1 from Thornhaugh Rectory, 

 Northamptonshire, and 1 from Tunbridge Wells, must 

 bear the name of Parus atricapillus kleinschmidti. 



[It will be seen from Mr. Rothschild's remarks that 

 very little indeed is known of the British Willow Tit. 

 Information is sorely needed about its distribution, its 

 numbers, and its habits. We appeal to the readers of 

 our Magazine to help in working out these details, and 

 thus establish the status of this bird in this country. It 

 is only of late years that the differences in habits and 

 notes of the Marsh and Reed Warblers, which are so very 

 much alike in form and colouring, have become more 

 generally known, and, as a consequence, additions have 

 been made to the knowledge of the distribution of the 

 Marsh Warbler. Similarly, it may be found, as is already 

 suspected, that the habits and notes of the British Willow 

 Tit differ from those of the British Marsh Tit. To obtain 

 this knowledge specimens must be collected of those birds 

 which appear to differ in their notes or habits, and as it 

 is impossible to identify the birds satisfactorily without a 

 comparison, the Editors will be only too pleased to have 

 authoritatively identified any specimens which are sent 

 to them. Any observations on the subject will also be 

 welcomed. — Eds.] 



