THE BRITISH MARSH-TITMOUSE. 241 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Like P. c. 

 cristatus and moults same, but white tips of crown and crest usually 

 tinged buff ; rest of upper-parts, including edgings of tail- and 

 wing-feathers and wing-coverts, considerably warmer buff-brown 

 with no greyish tinge ; sides of head, breast and belly tinged buff, 

 not so pure white ; flanks, vent and under tail-coverts considerably 

 deeper brown-buff than in P. c. cristatus. Summer. — In much worn 

 plumage differences are not so well marked, and some specimens 

 are very difficult to distinguish. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. ^Like that of P. c. cristatus and often very difficult 

 to distinguish, but edgings of wing- and tail-feathers more buff- 

 brown, upper-parts usually of a warmer tint, and flanks usually 

 more buff. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 61-70 mm., tail 49-61, 

 tarsus 17.5-20, bill from skull 9.5-10.5, longest crest-feather from 

 base to tip 17-22 (12 measured). $ wing 61-64, longest crest- 

 feather 15-20 Structure as in P. c. cristatus. 



Soft parts. — As in P. c. cristatus. 



Breeding-habits. — Usually nests in holes of stumps, but also 

 at times in nests of birds of prey, Woodpeckers' borings, King- 

 fishers' burrows, etc. Eggs.— Also similar ; 5 to 8 as a rule, but 

 10 and even 12 are said to have been found together. Breeding- 

 season. — From mid-April onward to June. Two broods. 



Food. — Similar to that of preceding forms. 



Distribution. — England. — One. Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) pre- 

 vious to 1844 {ut supra). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in central Europe, south to 

 Pyrenees and Alps. In Italy south of Alps only from autumn 

 to spring. Represented in north and north-east Europe, and 

 apparently in Spain and Portugal, by closely allied forms. 



PARUS PALUSTRIS 



loi. Parus palustris dresseri Stejn. — THE BRITISH 

 MARSH-TITMOUSE. 



Parus palustris dresseri Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., ix, p. 200 

 (1886— England). 



Partis palvstris Linnaeus, YarreU, i, p. 495 ; Saimders, p. 107 ; P. p. 

 dresseri Stejn., Hartert, Brit. B., i, p. 214. 



Description (Plate 9). — Adult male and female. Winter. — 

 Fore-head, crown, nape, and extending on to mantle, glossy jet- 

 black ; rest of mantle, scapulars, back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts warm brown (each feather of rump with concealed pale buff 



R 



