THE NORTHEEN WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 245 



as yet not well known, and in England and Wales we can only give 

 counties where it has been identified, and in which it is present 

 in small numbers with Parus palustris dresseri, viz.: Devon, Wilts., 

 Dorset, Hants., Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berks., Oxon., Bucks., 

 Herts., Middlesex, Essex, Cambs., Suffolk, Norfolk, Northants., 

 Hunts., Linos., Yorks., Noithumberland, Lanes., Cheshire, Derby, 

 Salop, Staffs., Warwick, Worcester, Hereford, Brecon, Merioneth, 

 Carnarvon. Scotland. — Seems entirely to replace P. p. dresseri, but 

 specimens have only been critically examined from Forth and Moray 

 areas, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Renfrew, and Lanark (c/. Brit. B., 

 IV, pp. 159, 284 ; v, pp. 133, 256). Very local, but fairly well dis- 

 tributed south of a Ime from Firth of Forth to Firth of Clyde, reach- 

 ing to Loch Lomond and into Stirling and Perth in small numbers 

 and very locally to a little north of Perth (to"\^Ti), mth isolated 

 record as far as Dunkeld. Also breeds in parts of Spey valley, but 

 otherwise unknowTi in north, except for a fcAv isolated records 

 elsewhere in Moray area. UnknoAAii I. and 0. Hebrides, Shetlands 

 and Orkneys. 



103. Parus atricapillus borealis Setys.— THE NORTHERN 

 WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 



Parus borealis Selys-Longchamps, Bull. Ac. Briixelles, x, 2, p. 28 

 (1843 — Iceland — errore ! The type came from Norway). 

 Parus borealis (Selys-Longch.), Grant, Bull. B.O.C., xxiii, p. 34 ; id., 

 Brit. B., II, p. 277. 



Descriptiok. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Easily distinguished from P. a. kleinschmidti by its pale grey-brown 

 mantle, scapulars, back and rump ; pure white cheeks, ear-coverts 

 and sides of neck ; pure white centre of breast and belly ; paler 

 buff flanks and under tail-coverts ; edgings of outer webs of tail- 

 feathers, primaries and secondaries grejdsh-white or pale cream- 

 colour ; innermost secondaries and mng-coverts gre3^-bro"\Aai, the 

 greater coverts edged paler. Larger size. Moults as in P. palustris 

 dresseri. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like adult but croAvn and chin sooty-brown-black. 



Measurements and structure. — o A^ing 62-68 mm., tail 55-60 

 (outer tail-feather 5-8 mm. shorter than longest), tarsus 17-18, 

 bill from skull 10-11 (12 measured). $ wing 61-65. Wing-formula 

 and other structure as in P. picdustris dresseri. 



Soft parts.- — As in P. palustris dresseri. 



Field-characters.- — In Norwa}^ frequents both fir and birch 

 forests. Readil}^ distinguished from ]\Iarsh-Tit and British Willow- 

 Tit by larger size, whiter cheeks, grej-er back and greyish-white 

 edgings to secondaries. Its note is a loud and harsh " tchay " 



