420 



BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



known and highly esteemed. In North Yorkshire 

 it is verbalised as Pay thy debt, pay thy debt, shifting 

 Mick, shitting Mick. Local and other names : 

 Throstle, Mavis. Sits closely, and protests loudly 

 against molestation. 



MALE BEARDED TIT. 



TIT, BEARDED. 



(Panums biarmicus.) 

 Order PASSERES ; Family PANURIM: (REEDLINGS). 



Description of Parent 

 Birds. Length just over 

 six inches, the tail forming 

 about half of this ; bill 

 short, upper mandibles 

 slightly curved downwards, 

 and yellow. Irides yellow r . 

 Crown bluish-grey ; nape, 

 shoulders, back, and 

 rump, golden brown; 

 wings black and greyish, 

 the feathers being bordered and tipped with white 

 and deep rusty-red ; upper tail-coverts and tail, 

 which is graduated and wedge-shaped, deep rufous 

 brown, some of the outer feathers being tipped 

 and edged with white and greyish-white. A 

 black patch extends from the base of the bill 

 to half way over the eye and, passing downwards, 

 ends in a tuft of elongated, tapering black 

 feathers growing from the side of the chin and 

 throat very like a moustache. Centre of chin 

 and throat dirty-white ; breast flesh-colour ; belly 

 and vent like the back, but brighter ; under tail- 

 coverts black ; legs, toes, and claws black. 



The female has the crown dull rusty-brown ; 



