38 A BIRD COLLECTOR’S MEDLEY. 
Afterwards, while I was stuffing the birds, we had a random discussion on 
the position of the Bearded Tit in ornithology. S , who knew least on the 
subject, laid it down that it was most nearly allied to the Bullfinch! The rest 
agreed that the local name of Reed Pheasant was more satisfactory than 
Bearded Tit. I saw myself no similarity to a Tit in any of their actions, 
whereas their appearance as they rose was rather suggestive of a small 
Pheasant. When it came to skinning them, apart from the shape of the tail, 
I noticed a certain resemblance in the texture of the feathers to those of the 
Dartford Warbler, and, as in the case of the latter bird, there is a sort of 
sturdiness about them; one is not surprised that they can brave the rigours of 
our English cold. They seemed always to be in the thickest part of the 
reeds, where there was water beneath them, and, when once alarmed, nothing 
short of trampling would get them out, and when they were out one had to 
shoot quickly, or they were in again, and this makes it very difficult to get a 
good specimen for stuffing. I doubt whether they are as rare as they are said 
to be. We heard the note several times after we had got our birds, and Z—— 
said that he could get a pair whenever he wanted them, but he was fully 
cognisant of their charms, and never shot them himself. He said that in the 
spring they often came and sat quite close to him as he worked on his marsh. 
