422 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



tufts on the sides of the chin pale brownish-fawn ; 

 chin and throat mixed with light brown; breast of 

 a lighter tinge than in the male ; and under tail- 

 coverts pale golden-brown. 



Situation and Locality. Close to the ground, in 

 a tuft of coarse grass, or sedge ; sometimes amongst 

 broken-down reeds, but never suspended between 

 stems of any kind. It is well hidden. This inter- 

 esting and rare species has its headquarters amongst 

 the extensive reed-beds and marshes round the 

 Norfolk Broads. It also breeds in one or two places 

 in Suffolk, and has been seen within twenty miles 

 of London within the last few years ; but, of course, 

 the exact localities must, for obvious reasons, remain 

 nameless, as the bird and its eggs are persistently 

 sought after by collectors, one of whom recently 

 left Broadland with no less than four clutches in 

 his possession. The significance of a raid of this 

 character can be appreciated, when one considers 

 that a competent authority recently gave it as his 

 opinion that the Bearded Tits did not number 

 forty pairs in the whole county. 



Materials. Dead aquatic vegetation, such as 

 leaves of reeds and blades of sedges, lined with 

 fine grass and seed-down. It is cup-shaped. 



Eggs. Four to seven, white, faintly tinged with 

 cream colour, and marked with small specks, short 

 irregular streaks and splashes of dark brown. 

 Distinguished by situation, size of eggs, and streaky 

 markings. Size about .7 by .56 in. (See Plate III.) 



Time. March, April, May, June, and July. 



Remarks. Resident, but subject to local move- 

 ment. Notes : shrill and musical when alarmed. 

 They also utter a clear silvery note which may be 

 very successfully imitated by poising a half-crown 



