210 



Nest, Eggs Bau has recorded an instance of breeding in a hole in the ground, 



near Berlin, and nesting boxes with small entrance holes are sometimes 

 occupied, but as a rule it does not differ in habits from the British form. 

 Bau gives the usual number of eggs as 6 to 9, but in Switzerland 

 according to Fatio the number sometimes reaches 10 or 12, and an 

 instance of 15 is recorded, probably the produce of two hens. The eggs 

 are laid towards the end of April or early in May, while Fatio states 

 that a second brood is sometimes reared in July. 

 Measure- Bau gives the average of 54 eggs and Rey of 32, probably in most 



'"^"^" of not all cases, of this race. Mean average (86 eggs), 15.91x12.13 mm.. 

 Max. 17X12.1 and 16.8x12.7, Min. 14.9x11.5 mm. Average weight, 

 70 mg. (Bau), 67 mg. (Rey). 



e. West European Marsh Tit, P. palnstris long-irostris Kleinsch. 



ForeignName: France: Nonnette. 

 P. palustris longWostris Kleins. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 373. 



Breeding Range: France, the Rhine valley, Belgium and Holland. 

 (? Perhaps Spain). 

 Con- In Holland it is somewhat local, but perhaps most numerous in 



tinentai ^^ Proviucc of Utreclit. Little is known as to its distribution in France, 



Europe. 



but in the Rhine Provinces it is not uncommon. (Some form of Marsh 

 or Willow Tit occurs in the Iberian peninsula N. of the Cantabrian range 

 and also in the S. Nevada). 



f. Italian Marsli Tit, P. palnstris italicns Tsch. & Hellm. 



Foreign Name: Italy: Cincia higia. 

 P. palustris italicvs Tsch. & Hellm. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 374. 

 Breeding Range: Italy. 



Chiefly found in the pine forests of the mountainous districts of 



tinentai Piedmout and Venetia, but also occurs, though less commonly, in the 



Europe. Apennines. Arrigoni states that it has been recorded from Sardinia, but 



this needs confirmation, and it is only known as a rare winter visitor 



to Sicily. 



97. Willow Tit, Parus atricapillus L. 

 Geographical Races. 



a. British Willow Tit, P. atricapillus kleinsehmidti Hellm. 



Plate 26, fig. 18. 

 Parus salicarius Brehm. Dresser, Man. Pal. Birds, p. 168 (part.). P. 

 atricapillus kleinsehmidti Hellm. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 378. 

 Breeding Range: Great Britain. 

 British The distribution of this form in Great Britain is still almost unknown. 



Isles, a^g ^j^i[\ 1897 [I ^as confused with the British form of the Marsh Tit. 



