140 



LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Adult Male. General colour above ruddy brown, paler and 

 more isabelline on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings light 

 brown, the feathers externally edged with the brown colour of 

 the back, slightly tinged with olive on the quills, the greater 

 coverts with a faint tip of whitish, forming an indistinct wing- 

 bar ; tail-feathers ashy-brown with olive-brown margins ; crown 

 of head glossy blue-black, forming a cap which extends back- 

 wards down the nape ; eyelids black, dotted with white ; sides 

 of face and ear-coverts ashy-white, like the under surface of the 

 body, the sides of which are clear isabelline buff; chin and 

 upper throat black ; thighs, axillaries, and under wing-coverts 

 like the sides of the body, the latter white near the edge of the 

 wing ; quill-lining ashy-white ; bill black ; feet leaden-grey ; 

 iris hazel. Total length, 4-5 inches; oilmen, 0-35 ; wing, 2-45; 

 tail, 1*95 ; tarsus, 0-6. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length, 

 4-5 inches ; wing, 2-4. 



Young. Has the colours of the adult, but has the cap duller 

 black, not glossy, and confined to the crown of the head, not 

 extending down the nape; the white colour of the under-parts 

 very pure, and the light tips to the greater wing-coverts forming 

 a distinct bar. 



NOTE. Dr. Stejneger has separated our British Marsh-Tit as a sub- 

 species on account of its darker colour, more olive back, clearer and 

 more bumsh-brown rump, much browner flanks and shorter tail, the 

 outer pair of tail-feathers being shorter than the others. On comparing 

 a series of specimens from different localities of Europe we find that 

 Dr. Stejneger's conclusions are borne out to a small extent. The 

 differences in the case of the Marsh-Tits are not so marked as in the 

 Coal-Tits, and as the former group vary much with locality and altitude, it 

 may be that connecting links will be found between our British bird and 

 its continental ally. 



With regard to the shortness of the outer tail-feathers in the 

 British bird, we find no difference, in this respect, between P. 

 dresseri and P. palustris of the continent of Europe. The same 

 may be said of the supposed difference in length of tail ; our 

 series in the British Museum does not confirm Dr. Stejneger's 

 supposition. As regards the darker brown colour, this is un- 

 doubtedly a feature of the British Marsh-Tit, and the rump is 

 more clearly marked than in the continental bird ; the flanks 



