94 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Family PANURID^. 



Genus PANURUS, Koch. 



BEAEDED TITMOUSE. 



Panurus hiarmicus (Linnseus). S.N., i., p. 342 

 (1766). 



The occurrences of the Bearded Titmouse in Kent at 

 the present day are extremely rare, and one may say 

 accidental, compared with former times, when the large, 

 over-grown wild marshes which existed were unreclaimed. 



In Yarrell's British Birds (1843) it is mentioned that 

 " eastward from London the Bearded Tit inhabits the 

 various reed-beds on the banks of the Thames both in 

 Kent and Essex." 



In his Ornitlwlogy of Kent {Zoologist, 1844), the Eev. 

 J. Pemberton Bartlett states it is " occasionally found 

 in Romney Marsh." Morris, in his British Birds, also 

 gives between Erith and London, and the Kentish coast 

 of the River Thames. 



Professor Newton, in the fourth edition of Yarrell's 

 British Birds (1871-74), says : " A few may still breed, 

 as heretofore, in East Suffolk, in Essex, Kent, or even 

 Surrey, but there is no satisfactory evidence that such 

 is the case." 



Mr. G. Dowker, in his Birds of East Kent, mentions 

 one shot some years ago at Monckton, by Mr. W. Austen ; 

 and the Eev. B. Austen gives Walmer as a locality. 

 There is a specimen in the Exeter Muesum labelled 

 Kent, the bequest of the Eev. Bower- Scott, and a pair 

 of these birds are contained in the collection of Kentish 

 birds in the Maidstone Museum from Mr. G. Simmons. 



