THE IRISH COAL-TITMOUSE. 237 



Resident. Generally distributed, more especially in wooded parts. 

 Scotland. -Resident. Generally distributed, except Caithness, 

 where very rarely observed,* and in Shetlands, Orkneys, and 

 O. Hebrides, where unknown. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Generally considered as subject to 

 local movements only, but has been observed on autumn-migration 

 at Isle of May and Bass Rock. 



97. Parus ater hibernicus Ogilvie-Grant THE IRISH COAL- 

 TITMOUSE. 



PARUS HIBERNICUS Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B.O.C., xxvii, p. 37 (31.xii.1910 



Ireland). 



Parus hibernicus, Daily Mail (!) No. 4593, p. 3 (28.xii.1910 County 



Sligo, Ireland. Author not clearly stated, either " Natural History 



authorities," Louia Wain, or Sir William Ingram). 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 9). Adult winter and first winter. Male and 

 female. Like British Coal-Titmouse but nuchal patch tinged 

 yellow ; mantle, scapulars and back more strongly washed olive- 

 buff ; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of neck, centre of breast and belly 

 pale yellow or yellowish-white, not pure white ; flanks and under 

 tail-coverts yellowish-buff. Summer. Olive-buff wash on mantle 

 wears away considerably, but mantle does not become so grey as 

 in worn specimens of P. a. britannicus, yellow of cheeks, ear-coverts, 

 breast and belly becomes paler and more whitish than in winter. 

 N.B. Occasional specimens especially from north-east Ireland 

 even in winter are indistinguishable from P. a. britannicus, while 

 others have only a faint tinge of yellow on ear-coverts or belly. 



Juvenile. Exactly like that of P. a. britannicus. 



Measurements and structure. As in P. a. britannicus, but 

 averaging perhaps a shade smaller. wing 57-61 mm., tail 41-45, 

 tarsus 16.5-18, bill from skull 9-10. $ wing 56-60. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Similar to those of British form, except that 

 the nest is often found in a hole in a stone-faced bank (Ussher). 



FOOD. Probably similar to that of British form. Ussher says it 

 feeds on alders and attacks cone of Picea nobilis ; Warren records 

 oats. 



DISTRIBUTION. Confined to Ireland. Resident, and generally 

 distributed, more especially in wooded districts .f 



* Becords from Wick (Caithness) in autumn may be referable to Parus 

 a. ater. 



f Some examples, especially from co. Down, are not separable from 

 Parus a. britannicus. 



