

THE MARSH TIT. 



PARUS PALUSTEIS. 



Forehead, crown, bead, and nape black ; upper parts grey ; wings dark grey, 

 lighter at the edges ; cheeks, throat, and breast dull white. Dimensions and 

 eggs as in the last. 



As has been said, the Marsh Tit and Cole Tit are so much 

 alike that it requires a sharp, eye to distinguish them at a 

 distance. On a closer inspection, however, the characters 

 mentioned in the preceding paragraph become apparent, 

 and there can be no question that they are distinct 

 species. The Marsh Tit is a bird of common occurrence, 

 being in some places less abundant, in others more 

 so than the Cole Tit, while in others, again, the two are 

 equally frequent. In those districts with which I am 

 myself most familiar, it is hard to say which kind pre- 

 ponderates. Though it freely resorts to woods and planta- 

 tions remote from water, it prefers, according to Mon- 

 tagu, low, wet ground, where old willow-trees abound, 



