214 BRITISH BIRDS. 



olive-brown, instead of bluish-grey. It is never difficult 

 to distinguish the British Coal-Tit if compared with the true 

 North European P. ater ater. On the other hand P. ater 

 vieirae Nicholson (Manch. Meni'. L., No. 13, p. 16) is not 

 so easy to distinguish, but its back is lighter, its flanks are 

 brighter. P. ater vieirae was based on a single example 

 from Portugal, but it is probably spread over Spain ; 

 apparently the flanks of the type of vieirae are abnormally 

 rufous, for I have seen such aberrations from various 

 countries. P. ater sardus from Sardinia is also more like 

 hritaymicus, but its colours are not so dull. I hope soon 

 to be able to discuss the south European Coal-Tits more 

 exhaustively. 



10.— Parus palusteis dresseri Stejn. 



British Marsh-Titmouse. 



Parus palustr is dresseri Stejneger, "Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.," 

 IX., p. 200 (1886— England). 



The nearest ally of the British Marsh-Tit is not the 

 light-coloured Scandinavian P. pahistris ixdustris, but 

 P. jpalustris longirostris from the Rhine, Belgium, Holland 

 and France. The British form, however, difPers from the 

 latter in its smaller size (wing (J 62 — 65 mm., very rarely 

 66, against 65 — 68 mm. in longirostris), darker and more 

 olivaceous-brown upper surface. 



11. — Parus atricapillus kleinschmidti Hellm. 



British Willow-Titmouse. 



Parus montanus Meinschmidti Hellmayr, " Orn. Jahrb.," 

 1900, p. 212 (England, near Finchley). 



See also Kleinschmidt, "Orn. Monatsber.," VI., p. 34 



(1898); Hartert, "Zoologist," 1898, p. 116; Hartert, 



" Bull. B.O.C.," XIV., p. 79 ; Rothschild, anteci, p. 44. 



The British form of the Willow-Tits, or Marsh-Tits 



