226 



pi. XL, fig. 3. Baedeker, Tab. 43, fig. 18. Seebohm, Br. Birds, pi. 12; 

 id. Col. Fig. pi. 53. Frohawk, Br. Birds, I. pi. II, fig. 68. Dresser, 

 pi. _, fig. 13—15. Krause, pi. — , fig. 1—42. 



Nest: O. Lee, II. p. 136: Turner, Home Life of Marsh Birds, 

 pi. XVIII— XXI. 



British Local Names: Reed or Marsh Pheasant. Foreign 

 Names: Bohemia: Sylcora vousatd. Denmark. Skjoeg-meise. France: 

 Mesange a moustaches. Germany: Bartmeise. Holland: Baardmamietje. 

 Italy: Basettino. Spain: Bigotudo. 



Panurns biarmicus (L.). Newton, ed Yarrell, I. p. 511. Dresser, Man. 

 Pal. Birds, p. 158. Saunders, Man. p. 99. Calamophilus biarmicus (L.). 

 Dresser, Birds of Europe, III. p. 49. P. biarmicus biarmicus (L.). Hartert, 

 Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 403. 



Breeding Range: E. Spain, France, S. E. England, Holland, 

 and Italy. 

 British Although this interesting bird is known to have bred formerly in Lincoln, 



isieg. Huntingdon, Cambridge, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and probably also 

 in the Thames valley, its haunts are now restricted entirely to the Broads of 

 Norfolk*. For many years there has been a steady decrease in the number 

 of resident birds on the Broads, and Mr. J. H. Gurney estimated the 

 number of nests in Norfolk in 1898 at only 33, but probably this estimate 

 was too low, and of late there has been a decided increase^ in numbers, 

 due to protection. Interesting details as to its present and former dis- 

 tribution will be found in Mr. Gurney's papers in the Tra7is. Norf. and 

 Norw. Nat. Soc. YI. p. 429 (1899), and Zool. 1900, p. 358. 

 Con- In Spain this species is common on the Albufera de Valencia, and 



tinentai jg q\^q g^id to occur in the lagoons of N. E. Catalonia: in France it is 

 plentiful in some parts of the Camargue and near Narbonne, and is said 

 also to be found near the mouth of the Gironde. It is very local in 

 Italy, but numerous in certain districts, such as the lagoons of Venetia 

 and the R. Po, and suitable localities in Tuscany, Campania and Sicily. 

 In Holland it is not resident, but breeds in fair numbers in N. and S. 

 Holland, Friesland and Overijsel during the summer months, and according 

 to Dubois also breeds in N. W. Belgium. In Germany it is now no 

 longer resident, but was formerly found in the marshes of the N. from 

 E. Friesland to Holstein and Mecklenburg. Probably also it was this 

 race which formerly nested on the Mansfelder See in Saxony and in 

 Thuringia. 



Usually placed among the stems of reeds or coarse vegetation not 

 far from the outer edge of the reed bed, in swampy ground, and from 

 6 in. to 1 ft. above the water level. Booth mentions a nest built into 



* A pair or two apparently survived in S. Devon as late as 1888. 



Europe. 



