BEARDED TITMOUSE. I31 



rapidly whirring wings shoots across the waterway into the 

 opposite bed. When I was approaching one nest three males 

 appeared, called together by some known signal, turned and 

 twisted, circled the stems and hung to the swaying flower-heads, 

 dropping out of sight only to reappear near the top of other 

 reeds. This performance continued so long as we were near 

 the nest, where I had the opportunity of seeing the so-called 

 "recognition marks" on the palate of the newly hatched 

 nestlings — two rows of white spots or pegs on black, surrounded 

 by vivid red. As the birds clung to the reeds their expanded 

 tails caught the wind so that they were swung round like 

 weathercocks. The males did not pluck any of the seeds, 

 which, my guide told me, was their habit when the nest con- 

 tains eggs. Miss E. L, Turner, to whom I am indebted for 

 much information, and who has lived amongst these birds for 

 years, says that so long as the eggs are unhatched the male 

 constantly adds these scraps of reed-flower to the hning. 



The food consists almost entirely of insects and freshwater 

 molluscs, though in winter it is stated that seeds are eaten ; 

 Miss Turner is of opinion that the flowers are pulled to bits 

 not for the seeds, but to discover the tiny larvae which " gall " 

 the flowers and winter in the heads. Caddis flies, Mayflies and 

 other four- and two-winged insects which frequent the aquatic 

 plants, as well as caterpillars, are given to the young. The 

 male and female roost side by side, snuggling together on the 

 same stem, and often the cock shelters the hen with one wing, 

 as shown on Plate 53. In courtship the cock raises the 

 feathers of the crown, puffs out his beard and elevating his tail 

 exposes to view the black under tail-coverts ; the value of 

 salient characters is often obscure except during nuptial display. 

 In response to the display the hen performs a quaint dance, 

 and sometimes the two rise together for a high aerial courtship 

 flight. In winter the birds become gregarious, wandering in 

 little parties to broads and waterways where they do not nest. 



