Nature and Habits of the Bearded Titmouse. 22.3 



it, lest my game should be driven away. * Arrived on our 

 ground, we traversed it for some time without success; and 

 were about to leave it, when our attention was roused by the 

 alarm cry of this species, and looking up, we saw eight or ten 

 of these beautiful little creatures on the wing, just topping the 

 reeds over our heads, uttering in full chorus their sweetly 

 musical note, which resembles (if it may be likened to a word) 

 the monosyllable ping, ping; pronounced at first slow and 

 single, then two or three times in a more hurried manner : it 

 may be compared to the music of very small cymbals ; is clear 

 and ringing, though soft, and corresponds well with the de- 

 licacy and beauty of the form and colour of the bird. We 

 saw several flocks during the morning, or, what is more pro- 

 bable, the same flock several times. Their flights are short 

 and low, only sufficient to clear the reeds ; on the seedy tops 

 of which they alight to feed, hanging, like most of their 

 tribe, with the head or back downwards. If disturbed, they 

 immediately descend by running, or rather by dropping. The 

 movement is rapid along the stalk to the bottom, where they 

 creep and flit, perfectly concealed from view by the closeness 

 of the covert and the resembling tints of their plumage. 



We could hear, but not see, our dog hunting; and we 

 thought he was of service in pointing out to us whereabouts 

 the birds were. His being near them, however, did not make 

 them easily take wing; they seemed to follow him, hovering 

 and crying about him. I question if we should have seen, or 

 even heard, a single bird without his assistance. We were 

 fortunate enough to shoot one (a male) in fine plumage. I 

 held it in my hand when scarcely dead. Nothing could exceed* 

 the beauty of the eye ; the bright orange of the iris, nearly 

 surrounded as it is by the deep glossy black of the mustachios 

 and streak above, receives additional brilliancy from the con- 

 trast, and struck me as a masterpiece of arrangement in colour 

 and neatness. The bill also was of a fine clear delicate orange ; 

 but this, too, soon became dull and opaque. I would here 

 ask if you. Sir, or any of your correspondents can guess of 

 what use the long feathers, called the mustachios of this bird, 

 are. We may fairly suppose that Nature does not give her 

 creatures useless appendages, for mere ornament; but I own 

 I am at a loss to imagine their purpose, unless it be to aid 

 the wearer in its passage through so thick a covert. 



* The Bearded Titmouse is known in these parts by the name of the 

 Reed Pheasant; and is not unaptly called so. Their relative length of 

 tail is not very unequal ; and when placed in certain lights, the tints of the 

 tail feathers are by no means dissimilar. The accompanying sketch [from^ 

 which ^g. 54. is an engraving] represents the bird as 1 saw it. 



g 4 



