ments. 



196 



Eggs. The normal clutch varies from 8 to 11, occasionally 12 or 13, in 



the first brood, and 6 to 8 in the second. They are indistinguishable 



from those of other races. 



Breeding In Scandiuavia, near the N. limit of this bird, the first eggs are 



Season, j^-^ -^^ uiid-May, but in the S. from the latter part of April to the 



beginning of May. In Germany the eggs of the first brood should be 



looked for at the end of April or early in May, and the second brood 



in June or July. In Carinthia the season is rather earlier; from mid 



April to May, and Keller once met with fledged young on May 4, while 



in Greece Reiser noticed a bird slip into its nesting hole on March 4. 



Measure- Avcragc of 72 cggs mcasured by Ban, 15.3x11.7 mm,. Max. 



16.9x12.1, Min. 14x10.5. Rey gives the average of 44 eggs as 



15.4x11.9 mm.. Max. 17x12, Min. 14.3x11.7 and 15.5x11.5. 



L. V. Boxburger records an egg 15.2x12.8. Average weight, 73 mg. 



(Bau); 69.7 mg. (Rey). 



c. Corsiean Blue Tit, P. caeraleus ogliastrae Hart. 



P. caeruleus ogliastrae Hart. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 349. 



Breeding Range: Corsica and Sardinia. 



On Corsica this race is tolerably common, and full clutches of 

 7 — 8 eggs may be taken from May 10 — 16 in the low ground, and later 

 in the hills. Average of 18 Corsiean eggs: 15.06x11.87 mm.. Max. 

 16x12 and 15.2x12.3; Min. 14.3x12.3 and 15x11.4. It is also 

 fairly common in the mountains in Sardinia during the breeding season, 

 but not in the plains. 



d. Pleske's Tit, P. caeruleus pleskii Cab. 



Egg: Dresser, pi. — , fig. 36. 

 P. caeruleus jdeskii Cal. Hartert. Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 351. 



Breeding Range: Unknown. Occurs in N. and E. Russia in winter. 



The breeding grounds of this race probably lie E. of those of 

 P. caeruleus caeruleus, perhaps in the Northern Urals or in N. E. Russia. 

 Dresser has a clutch of 3 eggs ascribed to this race which was taken by 

 Dr. Komar in Vologda on May 30, 1901. Measurements of 2 eggs: 

 15 X 12 and 15.2 x 11.5. [From Marocco to Tunis the resident form 

 is the Ultramarine Tit, P. caeruleus idtramarinus Bp. (Eggs figui-ed by 

 Baedeker, Tab. 43, fig. 12 and J. f. 0. 1856, Taf. II, fig. 14; Dresser, 

 pi. — , fig. 1 — 3.). It is common N. of the Atlas, breeding in April 

 and May in old Bee-eaters' holes, etc., and laying 4 — 8 eggs Average 

 of 13 eggs (5 measured by Rey and 8 by the writer), 16.1x12.25 mm.. 

 They are as a rule more heavily marked than European eggs. In the 



