THE NORTHERN WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 245 



as yet not well known, and in England and Wales we can only give 

 counties where it has been identified, and in which it is present 

 in small numbers with Parus palustris dresseri, viz.: Devon, Wilts., 

 Dorset, Hants., Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berks., Oxon., Bucks., 

 Herts., Middlesex, Essex, Cambs., Suffolk, Norfolk, Northants., 

 Hunts., Lines., Yorks., Northumberland, Lanes., Cheshire, Derby, 

 Salop, Staffs., Warwick, Worcester, Hereford, Brecon, Merioneth, 

 Carnarvon. Scotland. Seems entirely to replace P. p. dresseri, but 

 specimens have only been critically examined from Forth and Moray 

 areas, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Renfrew, and Lanark (cf. Brit. B., 

 iv, pp. 159, 284 ; v, pp. 133, 256). Very local, but fairly well dis- 

 tributed south of a line from Firth of Forth to Firth of Clyde, reach- 

 ing to Loch Lomond and into Stirling and Perth in small numbers 

 and very locally to a little north of Perth (town), with isolated 

 record as far as Dunkeld. Also breeds in parts of Spey valley, but 

 otherwise unknown in north, except for a few isolated records 

 elsewhere in Moray area. Unknown I. and 0. Hebrides, Shetlands 

 and Orkneys. 



103. Parus atricapillus borealis Selys. THE NORTHERN 

 WILLOW-TITMOUSE. 



PARTIS BOREALIS Selys-Longchamps, Bull. Ac. Bruxelles, x, 2, p. 28 

 (1843 Iceland errore ! The type came from Norway). 

 Parus borealis (Selys-Longch.), Grant, Bull. B.O.C., xxiii, p. 34 ; id., 

 Brit. B., n, p. 277. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and female. Winter and summer. 

 Easily distinguished from P. a. kleinschmidti by its pale grey-brown 

 mantle, scapulars, back and rump ; pure white cheeks, ear-coverts 

 and sides of neck ; pure white centre of breast and belly ; paler 

 buff flanks and under tail-coverts ; edgings of outer webs of tail- 

 feathers, primaries and secondaries greyish-white or pale cream- 

 colour ; innermost secondaries and wing-coverts grey-brown, the 

 greater coverts edged paler. Larger size. Moults as in P. palustris 

 dresseri. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like adult but crown and chin sooty-brown-black. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 62-68 mm., tail 55-60 

 (outer tail-feather 5-8 mm. shorter than longest), tarsus 17-18, 

 bill from skull 10-11 (12 measured). $ wing 61-65. Wing-formula 

 and other structure as in P. palustris dresseri. 



Soft parts.- As in P. palustris dresseri. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. In Norway frequents both fir and birch 

 forests. Readily distinguished from Marsh-Tit and British Willow- 

 Tit by larger size, whiter cheeks, greyer back and greyish-white 

 edgings to secondaries. Its note is a loud and harsh " tchay " 



