142 URITISII BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



the hen, so that when their heads Mere tucked away and 

 the contour feathers fluffed out, they looked Uke one Httle 

 feathery ball. When feeding they frequently scratched 

 on the aviary floor after the manner of barn-door fowls ; 

 perhaps because in nature they so often hunt for food 

 amongst the ooze. They bathed every day, and always 

 together. Their method of drying themselves was 

 amusing. They would sit huddled up together till dry 

 on the sides touching each other ; then reversing their 

 respective positions they proceeded to dry the other side, 

 mutual warmth evidently assisting the process. 



Unfortunately I lost both the hens. I then put the two 

 cocks together, and they lived in the same loving fashion, 

 roosting and bathing in exactly the same way as the pair 

 had done. One was a very handsome bird, but the other, 

 in addition to a generally dishevelled appearance, was 

 minus a tail They continued to live in perfect harmony 

 until one evening, when I introduced a foreign hen. Then 

 came discord. In less than five minutes the hen showed 

 a decided preference for the more handsome male, and he 

 began to chase and bully his rival with such vigour that 

 I had to interfere and rescue the weaker bird. The 

 accepted lover then went through a beautiful display. 

 The grey head-feathers were raised so as to form a 

 kind of crest, the black " beard " was puffed out in an 

 obviously irresistible manner, while the long tail was 

 spread fan-wise and held erect in such a way that the 

 jet-black under-coverts were brought into prominence. 

 Meanwhile the female sat preening herself with a very 

 self-conscious air, and continued to do so till satisfied that 

 her personal appearance was beyond reproach. Having 

 completed her toilet she spread out her tail and danced a 

 " pas seul," Avhich seemed to inflame her admirer to yet 

 greater ardour. Finally, after much posing on the part 

 of both birds, they nestled close together and settled 

 down quietly. 



The flight of the Bearded Tit is usually laboured, undu- 

 lating and slow, and as a rule they merely flit from one 



