NORTHERN TIT, 77 



GRANlVOPwE. 



Family PA1UDM. {Bonaparte.) 



Genus Parus. (Linnceus.) 



NORTHERN TIT. 



Parus borealis. 



Parus borealis, De Selys; Bull. Ac. Roy Brux, 1843. 



" " Bonaparte. 



Poikilis palustris, var. (3, Blasius. 



Pcecile borealis, Gray; Hand List, 1870. (3349.) 



" alpestris, Gray; Hand List. (3350.) 



Specific Characters. — Black on head and nape not glossy; cheeks all 

 white; back grey brown; edges of wing feathers broadly white; outer tail 

 feathers shorter than the middle one. 



Professor Newton, in his edition of "Yarrell's British Birds/' 

 still retains the opinion expressed in the first edition, that this bird 

 is only a variety of the Marsh Tit. I have, however, been favoured 

 by the late Mr. Wheelwright, of Gaclsjo, near Carlstadt, in Sweden, 

 with some remarks about this bird, which I will insert. Mr. W., who 

 had many opportunities of observing this and others of our most 

 interesting European species, writes to me, — 



"It so much resembles our Marsh Tit, both in habit and appearance, 

 that I really think it can hardly be called a separate species. There 

 are, however, the following differences, which are constant: — 



Palustris. — Head glossy silk black; cheeks and sides of the neck 

 white, rather tinged with black; back blackish grey brown. The edge 

 of the outer web of wing feathers a little paler than the back. 



Borealis. — Head walnut dull black; cheeks and sides of the neck 

 clear white; back grey. The edge of the outer web of wing feathers 

 nearly clear white. 



