THE BEARDED REKDLING 43 



of each other's company. A writer in the Magazine of Natural 

 History gives the f oho wing account of their habits : — ' I was told that 

 some of these birds liad been seen in a large piece of reeds below 

 Barking Creek ; and being desirous of observing them in their 

 haunts, I went, accompanied by a person and a dog, to the above- 

 named place, on a cold and windy morning ; the reed-cutters 

 having commenced their operations, I was fearful of deferring my 

 visit, lest my game might be driven away. Arrived on our ground, 

 we traversed it some time without success, and were about to leave 

 it, when our attention was roused by the alarm-cry of the bird. 

 Looking up, we saw eight or ten of these beautiful creatures on 

 the wing, just topping the reeds over our heads, uttering, in full 

 chorus, their forcibly musical note, which resembles the monosyl- 

 lable ping ! pronounced first slow and single, then two or three 

 times in a more hurried manner, uttered in a clear and ringing, 

 though soft tone, which well corresponds with the beauty and 

 delicacy of the bird. Their flights were short and low, only sufficient 

 to clear the reeds, on the seedy tops of which they alight to feed, 

 hanging, like most of their tribe, with the head and back down- 

 wards. After some time, we were fortunate enough to shoot 

 one, a male, in fine plumage. I held it in my hand when scarcely 

 dead. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the eye ; the bright 

 orange of the iris, surrounded by the deep glossy black of the 

 moustaches and streak above, receives additional brilliancy from 

 the contrast, and struck me as a masterpiece of colour and neatness.' 

 These specimens were observed in the month of December. To- 

 wards the end of April the Bearded Tit begins building its nest. 

 This is composed externally of the dead leaves of reeds and sedges, 

 and lined with the feathery tops of reed. It is generally placed 

 in a tuft of coarse grass or rushes near the ground on the margin 

 of the dikes, in the fen ; sometimes among the reeds that are 

 broken down, but never suspended between the stems. Two nests, 

 described by Yarrell, were composed entirely of dried bents, the 

 finer ones forming the lining ; and others, increasing in substance, 

 made up the exterior. The eggs were from seven to eight in number, 

 rather smaller than those of the Great Tit, and less pointed, white, 

 and sparingly marked with pale red lines or scratches. The same 

 author observes that ' it is very abundant in Holland ; and numbers 

 are brought alive from that country to the London markets for sale ; 

 the birds being attractive in confinement from the beauty of the 

 plumage, their graceful form and general sprightliness. ' I have seen it 

 stated that the moustaches, from which the bird takes its name, arc 

 movable, and that their play gives a peculiar animation to the ex- 

 pression of the bird's face, but I have never had an opportunity of 

 verifying this remark. They have been increasing in the Norfolk 

 Broads of late years. 



