THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 259 



season. — Occasionally eggs may be found at beginning of April, 

 but usually about third week of that month, and thence onward 

 to July, while young have been seen in the nest in September. 

 IncAibation. — 13 days, male relieving female. Two or three broods 

 reared. 



Food. — In winter seeds of reed chiefly : also insects and their 

 larvse, especially larvae of Laverna phragmitella. Succinea and 

 Pupa found in crops by W. H. Dikes. Young fed on green 

 caterpillars, also diptera, small neuroptera and trichoptera. 



Distribution. — England. — Resident in Norfolk and perhaps some 

 Suffolk Broads, and in one local it}- in Devon. Formerly bred 

 Sussex, Kent, Essex, Cambs., Hunts., and Lines. To most south 

 comities very rare vagrant, nearly always in winter, and has been 

 recorded along Thames as far west as Gloucester ; also very rare 

 vagrant to some midland counties and as far north as Yorks., where 

 a few have occurred. Many reports of birds seen are not well 

 authenticated. Introduced Yorks. 1911 {Brit. B., v, p. 108 ; viii, 

 p. 270). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe, in east Spain, south France, 

 Holland, Itaty ; formerly in various parts of Germany, and replaced 

 by an allied race in Hungary, Roumania, south Russia and Asia, 

 from Asia Minor probably to Manchuria. 



Family LANIID^. 



The Shrikes form a well marked and sharply limited section 

 in the Palaearctic region, though the limits of the family are not 

 so certain and imdisputed in the tropics, especially in the Austral- 

 asian region. Palaearctic Laniidce are strikingly coloured, middle- 

 sized Oscines (c/. p. 6) with laterally compressed strong bills, 

 more or less strongl}^ hooked at tip, before which, on cutting edge 

 of upper mandible, is a distinct notch and tooth. Nostrils rounded, 

 without olDerculum but more or less concealed by bristle -pointed 

 antrorse feathers. Distinct rictal bristles. Tarsus fairly short, 

 distinctly scutellate in front, outer lamina sometimes divided into 

 scutes near base ; feet strong. Plumage soft. Wings short and 

 rounded in the less migratory L. excubitor, longer and more pointed 

 in the strictly migratory L. minor, collurio, and senator. Primaries 

 10, 1st about as long as half 2nd, in excubitor, much less in others, 

 3rd and 4tli or 2nd and 3rd longest. Rectrices 12, tail fairly long, 

 rounded or almost graduated. Sexes similar or dissimilar, yoimg 

 ahvays more or less barred, an ancestral character preserved in adults 

 of some species, notably in North America and north Asia. Eiu-ope 

 and Asia to Australia and Pacific, Africa and North America to 

 Mexico, only two genera in Palsearctic fauna, one in British Isles. 



S 2 



