77/6' Crested-Tit. 105 



deregg told me, and I find from the books that 

 he was right only among the highest and most 

 solitary pine-woods. 



At intervals, as in an English wood, the trees 

 will be astir with Titmice. The Cole-tit and the 

 Marsh-tit, the Blue-tit and the Great-tit, are all 

 to be seen here, the last two undistinguishable 

 from the British form, while the Cole-tit has a 

 bluer back than ours, and the Marsh-tit in these 

 higher levels differs, according to Professor Fatio, 

 even from the same bird when found lower down, 

 and approaches rather to the Scandinavian form. 

 This single fact is enough to show how interest- 

 ing would be a persevering study of this par- 

 ticular family. I will not venture to say whether 

 these slight differences in plumage are enough to 

 justify a specific separation of the forms. In the 

 case of the continental Long-tailed Tit, which is 

 decidedly different in colouring from ours, even 

 amateurs may perhaps see a sufficient reason ; 

 but will prefer to suspend their judgment as to 

 the other two. 



There is yet a Titmouse, nearly always to be 

 heard and seen between the Engstlen-alp and the 



