230 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



PARUS Ci^RULEUS 



93. Parus cseruleus csruleus L. — THE CONTINENTAL 

 BLUE TITMOUSE. 



Parus c^euletjs Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 190 (1758 — " Habitat 

 in Euro pa." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Parus cceruleus cceruleus L., J. L. Bonhote, Bull. B.O.C., xxvii, p. 101 ; 

 c/. Brit. B., V, p. 109. 



Description (Plate 9). — Like British Blue Titmouse but mantle, 

 scapulars, back and rump of a paler and usually greyer shade of 

 green ; tips of greater coverts longer and purer white, and those of 

 innermost secondaries less markedly so ; yellow of under-parts 

 usually slightly paler and "cleaner." Moults and differences in 

 male and female, juvenile and first winter and summer as in 

 British Blue Titmouse. 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wing 64-70 mm., tail 50-57, 

 tarsus 16-18, bill from skull 8-9 (12 measured). 9 wing 64-69. 

 Wing and tail decidedly longer than in British form ; although 

 measurements overlap, adults of Continental form have wings 

 longer and first winter birds of British form have them shorter 

 than 64-65 mm. Primaries and other structure as in British 

 Blue Titmouse. 



Characters and allied forms. — P. c. ogliastrcB (Corsica, Sardinia) 

 is intermediate between P. c. cceruleus and P. c. obscurus, P. c. 

 persicus (Persia) is considerably^ paler on upper- and under-parts 

 than P. c. cceruleus (other forms from eastern Russia and northern 

 Persia have been separated), P. c. ultramarinus (north-west 

 Africa) has dark blue crown and greyish-blue mantle and back, 

 P. c. degener (eastern Canaries) is similar but paler, P. c. teneriffce 

 (Tenerifle, Grand Canary) is similar but has no white tips to inner 

 secondaries and greater coverts, P. c. ombriosus (Hierro, Canaries) 

 has blue-grey hind-neck, olive-green mantle and back, greenish- 

 grey upper tail-coverts and no white in centre of breast and belly, 

 P. c. palmensis (Palma, Canaries) is darker on upper-parts than 

 teneriffce and has narrow whito tips to inner secondaries and greater 

 wing-coverts ; other forms have been separated but require further 

 study. 



Breeding-habits. — Resemble those of the British form. Eggs.— 

 Also similar. Breeding-season. — In northern Europe from mid- 

 May, but in Germany from the end of April. Two broods frequently 

 reared in central Europe. 



Food. — Chiefly insects, their eggs and larval forms, also berries 

 and seeds in small quantities. 



Distribution, — British Isles. — One, Peeblesshire {ut supra). Immi- 

 grations of Blue Tits have been noted, especially in Yorks., where 



