THE BRITISH MARSH-TITMOUSE. 241 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and female. Winter. Like P. c. 

 cristatus and moults same, but white tips of crown and crest usually 

 tinged buff ; rest of upper-parts, including edgings of tail- and 

 wing-feathers and wing-coverts, considerably warmer buff -brown 

 with no greyish tinge ; sides of head, breast and belly tinged buff, 

 not so pure white ; flanks, vent and under tail-coverts considerably 

 deeper brown-buff than in P. c. cristatus. Summer. In much worn 

 plumage differences are not so well marked, and some specimens 

 are very difficult to distinguish. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like that of P. c. cristatus and often very difficult 

 to distinguish, but edgings of wing- and tail-feathers more buff- 

 brown, upper -parts usually of a warmer tint, and flanks usually 

 more buff. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 61-70 mm., tail 49-51, 

 tarsus 17.5-20, bill from skull 9.5-10.5, longest crest-feather from 

 base to tip 17-22 (12 measured). $ wing 61-64, longest crest- 

 feather 15-20 Structure as in P. c. cristatus. 



Soft parts. As in P. c. cristatus. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Usually nests in holes of stumps, but also 

 at times in nests of birds of prey, Woodpeckers' borings, King- 

 fishers' burrows, etc. Eggs. Also similar ; 5 to 8 as a rale, but 

 10 and even 12 are said to have been found together. Breeding- 

 season. From mid- April onward to June. Two broods. 



FOOD. Similar to that of preceding forms. 



DISTRIBUTION. England. One. Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) pre- 

 vious to 1844 (ut supra}. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in central Europe, south to 

 Pyrenees and Alps. In Italy south of Alps only from autumn 

 to spring. Represented in north and north-east Europe, and 

 apparently in Spain and Portugal, by closely allied forms. 



PARUS PALUSTRIS 



loi. Parus palustris dresseri Stejn. THE BRITISH 

 MARSH-TITMOUSE. 



PARUS PALUSTRIS DRESSERI Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., ix, p. 200 

 (1886 England). 



Parus palustris Linnaeus, Yarrell, I, p. 495 ; Saunders, p. 107 ; P. p. 

 dresseri Stejn., Hartert, Brit. B., i, p. 214. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 9). Adult male and' female. Winter. 

 Fore-head, crown, nape, and extending on to mantle, glossy jet- 

 black ; rest of mantle, scapulars, back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts warm brown (each feather of rump with concealed pale buff 



R 



