424 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



be very welcome, in the meantime I certainly think it expedient 

 to follow the younger school of ornithologists in separating these 

 birds into two distinct groups, viz. : — (a) The Marsh-Tits 

 (P.palustris), or those with a steely-blue sheen on their crowns; 

 and {b) the Willow-Tits (P. borealis), or those with dull sooty- 

 or brownish-black crowns. Each are represented in France ; the 

 former by Parus palustris communis, Baldenst (or P. p. longi- 

 rostris, Kleinschm, by those who recognise this subspecies) and 

 the Willow-Tits by P. borealis montanus, Baldenst, and possibly 

 P. b. rhenanus, Kleinschm. 



Under the name of P. p. longirostris, Dr. Hartert (Vog. 

 pal. F. i. p. 373) separates the Marsh -Tit found in France, 

 Belgium, and Holland from the one inhabiting Mid-Europe 

 (P. p. communis), on the assumption that it has a slightly darker 

 and more olive-coloured back and rump. In my collection I 

 have a series of these Tits from various parts of France taken in 

 the spring months. All have the upper parts greyer and lighter, 

 if anything, than in specimens from Germany, &c* The bill of 

 the French bird is also supposed to be usually larger, but I have 

 failed to detect an appreciable difference in any examples that 

 have come under my notice, and Dr. Hartert admits that this is 

 a variable feature. Under the circumstances, therefore, I am 

 convinced that P. p. longirostris is an undesirable subspecies, 

 and in my opinion the French bird should certainly be associated 

 with P. p. communis. 



If somewhat partially distributed, the Marsh-Tit appears to 

 be nevertheless tolerably common in most parts of France with 

 the exception of the south-eastern portions. In Provence, 

 Languedoc, and Bousillon it seems to be an exceptional winter 

 visitor, but west of the Cevennes one begins to meet with it in 

 fair numbers. I found it by no means rare near Millau and on 



' : This paler coloration may, in part, be due to the season at which the 

 birds were taken. Unfortunately I have not been able to compare a series 

 of topotypical P. p. communis killed at a corresponding time of the year with 

 my own French skins, nearly all of which were collected during the months 

 of April or May. My conclusions are not, however, based on these specimens 

 alone. Altogether I have examined upwards of sixty or seventy specimens 

 from this country, including the French skins in the British Museum, 

 obtained at other times of the year from the Vosges Mountains and north 

 France. 



