O 
2 
innermost ones so broadly that almost the whole feather is white, except a mesial streak of brown; tail 
black, the four central feathers entirely so, the next with a small white spot near the tip of the outer 
web, the others bordered with white on the outer web, gradually inclining inwards, and occupying the 
tip of the inner web, so that these feathers appear very conspicuously tipped with white; under surface 
of the body whitish, with a faint vinous tinge on the flanks and under tail-coverts, deeper on the latter ; 
under wing-coverts snow-white; bill black; feet black; iris brown; ring round the eye lemon-yellow. 
Total length 6 inches, culmen 0°3, wing 2°5, tail 3:5, tarsus 0°6. 
Adult Female. Exactly similar to the adult male, and having the same pure white head. 
Chuck. Centre of the crown snowy white; sides of the crown itself and the sides of the head and neck 
generally dull sooty-black, joming behind on the interscapulary region, which again has a good deal of 
white on each side of it; the wings and the tail, as much as can be seen of the latter, coloured as in 
the adults, but the white borders: purer; under surface of the body white, with a vinaceous tinge on 
the flanks and under tail-coverts, deeper on the latter; bill horn-black, the tips and basal portion near 
the gape yellow; feet yellow. 
Obs. As a rule this is a very distinct species, the adults being always recognizable by their snow-white 
heads, and by having the innermost secondaries quite white, with only a narrow mesial line of brown. 
Both sexes are alike, when fully adult. Young birds are of course much harder to distinguish; but they 
are generally rather larger, have purer white on the head and breast, with longer wings and tail than 
the immature birds of the other European species. 
Obs. The differences between the four European species of Long-tailed Titmice, when fully adult, may 
be briefly stated as follows :— 
a. ae distinct spot on the throat. 
. Head pure white . . . iets : en laa ncaudatas 
Head white in the centre, Thera on each eid with a wd IB of black. 
ye Backsblacksinguhneycemtre mss Cini ime anes 2. A. rosea. 
. Back grey in the centre. . . 3) Woon eee Ely 5 oa” | Sle, BO oe me nOLe® 
b. Theat with a large greyish spot ; hacks RAY 6 6 o 6 6 6 6 0 9 6 6 4b AL ngMEREON. 
The changes of plumage of Acredula irbii, as well as its range, have still to be worked out; and it is 
difficult to tell some of the Piedmontese birds which Count Salvadori has sent us from genuine specimens of 
A.rosea. Whether this latter bird is the Long-tailed Titmouse of France we have not been able to determine, 
owing to the absence of a comprehensive work on the birds of that country, and the difficulty of procuring 
series of specimens. To the kindness of our friend Mr. Basil Brooke we owe the opportunity of examining a 
bird shot by him in the Pyrenees, which, although smaller, is scarcely separable from British examples. The 
black spots on the breast are very broad and distinct, as is the case with another bird, collected in Macedonia 
by Dr. Kriiper. This one has also a slight appearance of a gular spot. As the distinctness of the European 
Acredule has only recently been mooted, some of the difficulties of their separation will be cleared away by 
future investigation. At present we believe that the following is the approximate range of each of the species, 
adult examples of all of which are in the national collection :— 
1. A. caudata. Hab. Northern and Central Europe generally, extending in winter into Great Britain 
(where it has thrice occurred), Holland, probably France, and apparently Northern Italy ; for Count Salvadori 
has sent us a specimen which is undoubtedly the true A. caudata. 
2. A. rosea. Hab. British Islands, perhaps France. 
3. A. irbui. Closely resembling A. rosea, but having a grey back when adult. Hab. Spain, Sicily, and 
