603 
Ornithology of Cyprus. 
found several nests in the hills, both with fresh eggs and 
young, in early May, and obtained the bird both in the plains 
and on the summit of Troodos. I propose to deal with the 
variations in plumage to which this species is locally subject 
under the head of the next species. 
233. Subsp. Parus aphrodite Madarasz. 
From the series of skins of Great Titmice sent to him 
by Glaszner, Madarasz separated five, from which he de¬ 
scribed Parus aphrodite , a form apparently intermediate in 
appearance between Parus minor Temm. & Schlegel—-the 
Japanese Titmouse—and Parus major Linn. In addition, 
however, to the separated Parus aphrodite , Madarasz found 
some fifteen specimens which he regards as crosses between 
Parus major and P. aphrodite; these are smaller than 
typical P. major and somewhat paler on the breast. The 
specimens of P. aphrodite were taken in February, March, 
May, and October, but the subspecies is evidently resident. 
Whether in Cyprus P. major is throwing off a form approxi¬ 
mating to P. minor , or whether, as with its population, 
Cyprus is in the case of these birds the meeting-place of east 
and west, it is hard to say. One can only surmise, in view of 
the stationary character of the Great Titmouse and of the 
great numerical superiority of the typical P B major } that, if 
the latter view be correct, it is remarkable that such a form 
as P. aphrodite is still in existence. If, on the other hand, 
the former is the right theory, it is again remarkable that 
the form is apparently uncommon, unless the offshoot is of 
recent development. 
Personally I have never handled a sufficient number of 
specimens of Cypriote Great Titmice to enable me to comment 
usefully on the validity of Madarasz’s conclusions. The 
nests and eggs of local Great Titmice which I have seen 
differ in no way from those of the typical British species. 
The note of the Great Titmouse in Cyprus seems weak. 
239. Subsp. Parus Cypriotes Dresser. 
The existence of the Coal Titmouse in Cyprus was known 
2s 2 
