88 
2 
slightly dashed with olive; least wing-coverts uniform with the back, the median and greater coverts 
black, edged with slaty blue, and conspicuously tipped with white, which thus forms two distinct alar 
bars; quills greyish black, externally margined with silvery grey, the secondaries tipped with white ; 
tail-feathers greyish black, externally margined with silvery grey, inclining to white on the outermost 
feather; entire throat black, widening out on the sides of the neck, and in some examples joining the 
black of the hinder neck, thus enclosing the white face; centre of the body whitish, the flanks clear 
buff, sometimes tinged with vinaceous; under wing-coverts whitish, slightly washed with buff; bill 
dark horn-, feet lead-coloured; iris brown. ‘Total length 4:2 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 2-4, tail 2-0, 
tarsus 1°65. 
Adult Female. Exactly similar to the male, but has the colours duller. 
Winter plumage. So similar to the summer dress that scarcely any difference is perceptible in the colour of 
the back; a slight wash of olive pervades this part of the body ; and the flanks are a little duller buff. 
Young. Distribution of the colours much the same as in the adults, but more dingy; the black crown and 
sides of the neck, as well as the throat, dull sooty-black, the latter washed with olive; the back dull 
olive; the spot on the nape and cheeks yellowish; the white spots on the wing-coverts and tips to the 
secondaries yellowish white; under surface of the body yellowish; flanks fulvous brown; bill horn- 
brown, yellowish along the gape; feet fleshy brown. 
As the Coal Titmouse of England has been so recently separated, there is doubtless much to be 
discovered respecting the various changes of plumage, and more especially concerning the 
geographical distribution of that bird. We are at present unable to state whether Parus 
britannicus migrates to the Continent in winter; but the specimens which have come under 
our notice have all been referable to the true Parus ater, which appears to be distributed over 
the whole continent of Europe, becoming rarer towards the south. How far to the eastward it 
extends we are unable to say, inasmuch as the Coal Titmouse of Eastern Siberia has recently 
been separated by Pere David and Mr. Swinhoe as P. pekinensis; this bird is distinguished by its 
rather smaller size and longer crest-feathers. It is probable that the species referred to by the 
Russian travellers as Parus ater is the Parus pekinensis of Swinhoe. 
That the true Parus ater occasionally visits Great Britain is apparent from two Norfolk 
specimens in the collection of our friend Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., both killed in the early part of 
the year 1866. ‘The appearance of this bird in Norfolk is not so remarkable, as there can be no 
doubt that the eastern counties of England form part of the line of migration adopted by many 
Scandinavian birds. 
Throughout Scandinavia it is tolerably common everywhere; Collett records it from various 
parts of Norway, and states that near Christiania it frequents the fir-woods, but seldom visiting 
the non-evergreen groves. In Sweden, according to Nilsson, it inhabits the large pine-woods in 
the northern and central parts of the country, and on the fells is seldom seen above the fir 
regions. In Skane it occurs in the autumn, and occasionally in the winter and spring. Sundevall 
gives its range in Sweden and Finland as rarely above 63° to 64° N. lat.; and Von Wright says 
it is common in Southern Finland, but rarer to the north. “According to Nylander it is common 
at Uleaborg,” but he never saw it there; nor did Dresser observe it during his stay in that 
district. 
