238 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



PARUS CRISTATUS 



98. Parus cristatus scoticus (Prazak) THE SCOTTISH 

 CRESTED TITMOUSE. 



LOPHOPHANES CRISTATUS SCOTICA Prazak, Journ. f. Orn., p. 347 (1897 

 Scotland). 



Parus cristatus Linnseus, Yarrell, i, p. 499 ; Saunders. p. 1 1 1 ; P. c.scotica 

 (Prazak), Hartert, Brit. B., i, p. 215. 



Adult. Juvenile. 



The Scottish Crested Titmouse (Parus c. scoticus). 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and female. Winter and summer. 

 Mantle, scapulars and back considerably darker brown than in 

 P. c. cristatus ; rump and upper tail-coverts also darker, as well 

 as edgings of wing- and tail-feathers and wing-coverts ; white 

 tips of feathers of crown and crest duller ; white of under-parts 

 duller ; flanks, vent and under tail-coverts darker and browner, 

 not so buff. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile.- Differs from adult in same way as juvenile P. c. 

 cristatus, but upper-parts more sooty-brown than adult and con- 

 siderably more so than in juvenile P. c. cristatus. 



Measurements. wing 61-65 mm., tail 46-50, tarsus 18-19, 

 bill from skull 9-11 (12 measured). $ wing 58-65. Structure as 

 in P. c. cristatus. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. For differences of P. c. cristatus 

 and P. c. mitratus see under those forms ; birds from Spain and 

 Portugal require further study. Black and white pointed crest 

 distinguishes the species. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. Pointed black-and-white banded crest pre- 

 vents confusion with any other British Tit, and a clear trilling 

 " tirrrrl " is equally diagnostic. 



