THE GOLD-CRESTS. I 53 



dealer in birds and eggs has largely contributed to the threat- 

 ened extermination of the species. 



The Bearded Reedling is never found away from marshes 

 or reedy localities, but even in its natural haunts it is not 

 easily observed, as it often skulks away into the undergrowth 

 of smaller reeds and sedges when approached. In summer its 

 food consists of insects and tiny mollusca, but in winter it 

 feeds upon the seeds of the reeds, a mode of sustenance un- 

 like that of Tits, with which family this species has been 

 associated by most writers. Mr. Seebohm states that the long 

 tail of the bird is somewhat in the way in windy weather, and 

 it then keeps entirely to the shelter of the reeds. The call- 

 note, he says, "appears to be a musical ping ping, something 

 like the twang of a banjo ; the alarm-note is said to be a 

 chir-r-r, something like the scold of a Whitethroat; and the 

 cry of distress is a plaintive ee-ar, ee-ar" 



Mr. Howard Saunders observes that even in the winter the 

 birds are lively and musical, and at that season they may be seen 

 in flocks of from forty to fifty together, often roving from the 

 frozen inland waters to those which are kept open owing to the 

 influence of the tide. 



Nest. — Placed in a bunch of reeds not far from the ground. 

 It is somewhat deep, and composed of flat grass, and is lined 

 with fine grass and the down or flowers of the reeds themselves. 



Eggs. — From four to seven in number, china-white in 

 ground-colour, and varying much in size. They are rather 

 large for the size of the bird, and are faintly dotted and 

 streaked with dark brown, the streaks and lines somewhat re- 

 sembling those on the eggs of a Bunting. There is no at- 

 tempt at a cluster of spots round the large end. Axis, o'6-o"] 

 inch; diam., o'55-o-6. 



THE GOLD-CRESTS. FAMILY REGULID^E. 



The little birds which constitute this family have been con- 

 sidered by some ornithologists to be akin to the Warblers, 

 by others to the Tits. To us they seem to be an isolated 

 family, not distantly related to the Tits, but not to be included 

 within the confines of the family Paridce, nor to be admitted 

 into the Sylviidcz. The diminutive size, the brilliant crest, the 



