THE BRITISH WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 243 



pcaler nisty-broAVii on mantle ; other forms occur in Asia. Black 

 crown and nape without nuchal spot, and uniform (not pale tipped) 

 wing-coverts distinguish it from other British Tits except Willow- 

 Tit, for differences of which see pp. 243-4. 



Field-characters. — Readily distinguished from Coal-Tit by 

 absence of white patch on nape. Closely resembles Willow-Tit, 

 but has glossy blue-black, not dull sooty-black, crown. Song, see 

 Brit. Birds, iv, p. 147 (F.C.R.J.). 



Breeding-habits. — Usually nests in natural holes of willows, 

 alders, etc., sometimes slightly enlarging or altering opening ; 

 occasionally breeds in nesting-boxes. Nest. — Foundation of moss, 

 varying in amount according to size of hole, with thick pad of 

 felted hair, rabbit's fur or down. Eggs. — 7 or 8 as a rule, occasionally 

 more ; white, rather sparsely spotted with red-brown. Average 

 of 57 eggs, 15.6x12.2 mm. Breeding-se:ison. — From about the 

 last week in April in the south of England. Incubation. — Lasts 

 about 13 days ; apparently by hen. Probably sometimes double- 

 brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly insects (coleoptera, hymenoptera, etc., and their 

 larva') ; also seeds of weeds, beech-mast, berries and sunflower 

 seeds. (Many records may refer to Willow-Tit.) 



Distribution. — Confined to Great Britain. England and Wales. — 

 Resident. Rather local and especially so in west Cornwall, Cumber- 

 land and Westmorland. In northern parts of north Wales probably 

 only accidental, and in Anglesey unknown. It may be replaced 

 entirely by the Willow-Tit in some parts, and especially in the 

 north. Scotland. — Appears to be entirely replaced by the Willow- 

 Tit. Ireland. — Said to have occurred many years ago in counties 

 Antrim, Kildare, Dublin, and Louth, but no specimens exist. Has 

 been introduced Tipperary {Brit. B., v, p. 229). 



Represented by more or less closely allied forms on the continent 

 of Europe and in north Asia as far east as Japan. In Europe 

 apparently absent from Greece. 



PARUS ATRICAPILLUS 



102. Parus atricapillus kleinschmidti Hellm. — THE BRITISH 

 WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 



Parus montanus kleinschmidti Hellinayr, Orn. Jahrb., xi, p. 212 

 (1900 — England. Coalfall Wood, near Finchley). 



Parus atricapillus kleinschmidti Hellm., Rothschild, Brit. B., i, p, 44 ; 

 Hartert, t.c, p. 214. 



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

 summer. — Like adult British Marsh-Titmouse, but whole crown 



R 2 



