BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 41 
or four Marsh-Tits ; only observed among the firs at 
Evanside."* Mr. J. Davidson writes me that when tenant 
of Dalswinton (1896-1898) he once found a Marsh-Tit 
evidently feeding young, though he did not actually find 
the nest. He adds, " I think this the only time I noticed 
the bird in the district." 
Miss Ranken tells me she sees a pair occasionally in 
winter at Dalswinton. Mr. J. Little is confident that it 
" has bred half a mile below Moffat in the hole of an old elm 
tree." This species is considered as " very rare " in Upper 
Nithsdale by Mr. R. Armstrong, who writes me : "I have 
never seen a nest ; the first pair I saw was at Boatbrae 
(Morton) on February 14th, 1903, and I have occasionally 
seen others since." Personally, I have seen this bird 
more than once up Scaur Water, and one was shot in the 
Capenoch Garden on August 1st, 1908. " Around Dumfries 
the Marsh-Tit is nowhere common, "f and the reports I 
have received of it from Lochmaben, Kirkpatrick-Fleming 
and elsewhere in the county, lack confirmation. 
This species, probably often confused with the Coal- 
Tit (but may be readily distinguished by the absence of the 
white spot on the nape, and by its peculiar call-note) 
is undoubtedly an uncommon bird, though it may possibly 
often be overlooked ; and I quite expect that if a correct 
census of its numbers could be obtained, it would be found 
more generally dispersed throughout the county than the 
above account of its status infers. 
The British Marsh-Tit differs from its nearest continental 
ally by its darker upper surface and its smaller size.f It 
may here be remarked also that the British Willow-Titmouse 
(Parus atricapillus Meinschmidti), although never yet 
detected in our county, has been found in the faunal areas 
of " Forth " and " Moray,"§ as well as in various parts of 
* Zoologist, 1898, p. 507. 
t Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, April 3rd, 1908. 
t British Birds (Mag.), Vol. I., p. 214. 
§ Fauna of Tay, 1906, p. 91. 
