SEARCHING FOR THE WILLOW TIT. 



TOWARDS the end of April 1898 I accompanied Ernst Hartert, 

 the director at the Zoological Museum of the Hon. Walter 

 Rothschild at Tring Park, on an excursion into the County of 

 Bedford for the purpose of finding, if at all possible, the newly 

 discovered British Bird the Willow Tit (Parus Salicarius). First 

 it will be as well, perhaps, to furnish a few particulars of the 

 bird mentioned. It has been proved to occur in the British 

 Isles by the Hon. Walter Rothschild, Ernst Hartert, and Mr. Klein- 

 schmidt, the description being as follows: The feathers of the 

 crown are black, but not so deep black as in the common 

 Marsh Tit, and more inclining to brown; more lengthened, with- 

 out strong reflexes and gloss on the tips ; less strongly pigmented 

 throughout, and less compact. The tail is considerably more 

 graduated, at least the two lateral pairs being much shortened. 

 The measurements of two English Willow Tits are wing 6 1 mm., 

 tail 56 to 57 mm. The flanks are also more rufous than in 

 the Marsh Tit, the secondaries have broader and more brownish 

 edges, and the call-note is different. 



It is assumed, from observations made on the Continent, 

 that the locality in which the Willow Tit breeds is in some 

 extended, dark, thick, swampy willow thicket, and that the bird 

 is, like most of the other Titmice, silent so soon as it has eggs. 

 Therefore, it was essential that we should go early to the 

 'may-be' home. Even as early as the first week in April the 

 Tits are already on their breeding grounds. 



It was a pouring wet day, but our enthusiasm was so great 

 that, despite the unpropitious elements, we unanimously decided 

 when standing on Tring Station to do or die. A rather amusing 

 incident occurred when we were taking our tickets at Tring, 

 the booking clerk there inquiring of Mr. Hartert about the safe 

 arrival in a crate of a Kangaroo, but I learned from my friend 

 that instead of a Kangaroo it was really a Cassowary which 



