3 
find the nest of the P. borealis in the deep forest, never by water, built always of the inner fibres of the bark 
of some dead tree, probably the willow or alder.” 
Pastor Brehm has written an essay on the Marsh-Titmice in ‘ Naumannia’ (J. c.), in which, as usual, he 
divides all the European ones into a number of species which we cannot recognize or identify. At the same 
time there can be no doubt that the variations, which are coincident with locality, have been very much over- 
looked; and we propose therefore to give a short review of the specimens of the European Marsh-Titmice now 
before us, with a résumé of some of the literature connected with them. 
British Islands. Compared with the true P. palustris of Sweden, our English Marsh-Titmouse is a very 
much darker bird, and has the head slightly browner and less glossy. As, however, there are many conti- 
nental specimens which, in their winter dress, approach British examples, we feel that it would not be advisable 
to bestow a specific name on our insular form, as the distinctions are not so clearly characterized as in the 
Coal Titmice. That our island bird, however, is constantly darker is apparent on comparison of a series of 
specimens from Great Britain and the Continent. Mr. R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay has kindly lent us some Scotch 
specimens which exactly agree with English birds; but as the species is apparently still pushing its range 
northwards, it will be interesting for our descendants to notice whether a more mountainous habitat succeeds 
in inducing a corresponding change in plumage. 
Norway. We have already given Mr. Collett’s remarks on the two Marsh-Titmice in this country. Our 
friends Messrs. Alston and Harvie Brown have also leut us a series of specimens obtained by them during their 
Norwegian trip. Out of six Titmice procured by them, only one bird, killed at Skeeien i Land on the 15th of 
May, 1871, belongs to the true P. palustris; all the rest, shot at Vossevangen on the 22nd, 28rd, and 24th of 
the same month, are P. dorealis, one female bird being procured from the nest. Messrs. Salvin and Godman 
have likewise lent us two specimens in their collection from Sarpsborg in Southern Norway, where they were 
obtained by Mr. Baker during his journey in June and July 1866. 
Sweden. From this country, whence came the types of both P. palustris and P. borealis, we have a nice 
series of specimens, for which we have principally to thank our excellent friends Professor Sundevall and 
Mr. Meves. We have already noticed our specimen of P. palustris in autumn plumage, which the former 
gentleman gave us; and we have besides twelve of P. borealis, shot at all seasons of the year, from the autumn 
and winter to the full summer, &c. There is not apparently in the Scandinavian bird a really distinguishable 
autumn plumage, such as we have noticed in P. palustris, although the winter garb of the species presents 
some differences, which we have referred to above. 
Denmark. Two specimens of P. palustris sent by Mr. A. Benzon differ considerably from one another— 
one that was shot in May 1870 being much paler grey than another, which was killed in January 1871; this 
difference, however, may be due to the season of the year, as the ordinary Marsh-Titmouse appears to undergo 
a more decided seasonal change of plumage than its congener P. borealis. 
Germany. We have only two specimens from this country, both referable to P. palustris. For the loan 
of them we are indebted to our friend Mr. Schliiter, of Halle; and from these specimens it also appears that the 
back is much darker in winter than in summer, and at the former season of the year more closely approaches 
the British form. 
Switzerland and Savoy. The Marsh-Titmice from these countries are of some interest, as it was here that 
Baldenstein first discovered the existence of two species in Europe, and Bailly procured the types of his 
P. alpestris. ’ 
M. Victor Fatio, a well-known Swiss ornithologist, has written a most exhaustive account of the present 
bird, which we translate for the benefit of our readers, in order that the whole of the evidence of the bird’s 
distinctness may be before them. In the ‘ Bulletin’ of the Swiss Ornithological Society (vol. i. p. 79) he 
writes as follows :— 
«This Titmouse, so long involved in obscurity, has furnished material for so many divers opinions, that it 
seems to me to be not altogether useless to study its characters once more, and to examine without any 
oD 
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