108 BRITISH BIRDS. 



but could find no trace in it of either Marsh-, Reed-, or Sedge- 

 Warblers ; in fact on neither occasion did I meet with a single 

 bird belonging to the two latter species in the whole of the 

 district. 



The sitting bird belonging to the nest in the wheat was 

 exceedingly tame, and had to be almost driven off the nest 

 each time I visited it, but this was not the case with the other 

 birds, which quietly crept away from their nests as I approached. 

 For fear of trespassing too much on your valuable space, I 

 must omit any reference to song, except to say that it is 

 exceedingly interesting and very melodious, and although, 

 as has often been noticed by others, it appears to partake of 

 many notes of various other songsters, even the " utick tic " 

 of the Whinchat, in my opinion it is easily distinguishable 

 from the song of any bird. W. Davies. 



INTRODUCTION OF BEARDED TITS IN 

 YORKSHIRE. 



We have to record, with gieat regret, that Mr. W. H. St. 

 Quint in has been at great pains to introduce Bearded Tits 

 (Panurus hiarmicus) at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire. 

 In April, 1911, he liberated six pairs and two odd males, 

 which he had obtained from Holland. Since then these 

 birds have been seen in pairs, and on June 26th a brood 

 was observed, while there may be other broods (c/. Nahiralist, 

 1911, pp. 279-80). This passion for interfering with Nature 

 possessed by aviculturists, is likely to do serious harm to the 

 scientific study of ornithology, and is, in its way, almost 

 as bad as the destruction of rare breeding-birds and theii 

 eggs by those afflicted with the " British -taken " mania. 



In a number of occurrences reported fiom time to time 

 in our pages, it has been impossible to say if the bird referred 

 to was a genuine migrant or an escape from captivity, and 

 this doubt as to a vagrant being a genuine wild bird or not, 

 increases as more people keep birds in semi-captivity, without 

 even a ring on their legs, or let them loose intentionally. 

 There is the now notorious introduction of the Little Owl, 

 which is increasing to such an extent as to be likely to become 

 very harmful. Attempts to introduce the Willow -Grouse 

 and the American Robin and other birds have, we hope, 

 proved abortive ; but this introduction of Bearded Tits 

 from the Continent is nearly as bad as the attempt to intro- 

 duce Willow -Grouse ; and it can only be hoped that Mr. St. 

 Quintin's ahens will be banished in some way or other. 



As the Dutch birds are migratory and not sedentary like 



