VANISHING BRITISH BIRDS 



■3^ 



THE BEARDED TITMOUSE 



{PANURUS BIARMICUS) 



nnHE birds we now come to deal with are 



-^ fortunately still indigenous to the British 



Islands, although they are present in sadly 



diminished numbers, and are all more or less 



threatened with extinction in our area unless 



eiforts are taken to preserve them and senseless 



persecution is relaxed. Our first species is the 



Bearded Titmouse, although why it should be 



called a " Titmouse " is hard to say ; for its habits, 



characteristics, and organisation show little or no 



direct relationship with the group, and its true 



affinities remain yet to be discovered. This 



charming little bird is not only one of the prettiest, 



but one of the most interesting of our native 



98 



