EE 
MARSH-TIT. Ar? 
is found which, were it not probable that intermediate forms occur, might 
fairly be considered specifically distinct. The tail is rounded, slightly 
shorter than that of the East-Siberian birds; the upper parts are sandy 
white, and the flanks pure white. This bird may be looked upon as the 
extreme arctic form. Southwards, in Japan the Marsh-Tit, to which I 
have given the name of P. japonicus *, has the tail, although rounded, still 
further decreased in length, and the colour of the upper parts is only 
slightly paler than in South-European examples ; but the flanks are only 
faintly suffused with brown. In North China the Marsh-Tit of South- 
west Europe (P. palustris) reappears : the tail is nearly even, and equal in 
length to that of its European ally ; and the ouly perceptible difference is 
that it is a trifle paler on the upper parts than examples from the British 
Islands +. The Marsh-Tit of Turkestan, P. songarus, is apparently speci- 
* To better and more clearly express the differences found in the Marsh-Tit, I have 
drawn up the following Table :— 
Locality. Name. cea e Remarks. 
ail. 
ee see 
inches. 
South-west Europe, | P. palustris ...... | 19to21 | Tail nearly even; upper parts 
including British | | sandy brown. British ex- 
Islands. | amples most sandy; flanks 
| pale sandy brown. 
ScandinaviaandNorth-| P. boreals ........ 2:1 to 2°35 |Tail rounded; upper parts 
west Russia. slate-grey; flanks white, 
| slightly suffused with brown. 
North-east Russia and) P. baicalensis...... 2:4 to 25 |Tail rounded; upper parts 
West Siberia. slate-grey; flanks white, 
| | slightly suffused with brown. 
East Siberia ........ P. brevirostris ....| 2'5to 26 | Tail nearly even; bill small; 
upper parts slate-grey, with 
a slight shade of brown; 
flanks white, slightly suf- 
fused with brown. 
|Kamtschatka ........ | P. kamtschatkensis.. 2°4 to 23. |Tail rounded; upper parts | 
| sandy white; flanks pure | 
| | white. 
SRB vis» 'bsoss\si soaie 3 | P. japonicus ...... | 2:2to 2:1 | Tail rounded; upper parts 
pale sandy brown; flanks 
| | white, slightly more suffused 
with brown than in P, dbar- 
calensis. 
OUD ase ters bs ct P. palustris ...... 2:0 Tail nearly even ; upper parts 
sandy brown, very slightly 
paler than British examples; 
flanks pale sandy brown. 
Markestan ci... P. songarus ....0. 23 to 2:25 |Tail rounded; upper parts 
rich sandy brown; flanks 
sandy brown. 
+ Dresser, ‘ Birds of Europe, iii. p, 120, isin error iv saying that the Chinese form most 
nearly resembles P. borealis. 
