300 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



and highly esteemed. In North Yorkshire it is 

 verbalised as Pay tliy debt, pay thy debt, slitting 

 Mick, shitting Mid. Local and other names : 

 Throstle, Mavis. Sits closely, and protests loudly 

 against molestation. 



TIT, BEARDED. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length just over 

 six inches, the tail forming about half of this ; bill 

 short, upper mandible slightly curved downwards, 

 and yellow. Irides yellow. 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 ; 

 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- co verts pale golden-brown. 



Situation and Locality. Near the ground, in a 

 tuft of coarse grass, nettles, or sedge ; sometimes 

 amongst broken-down reeds, but never suspended 

 between stems of any kind. It is well hidden, 

 but now, alas ! only known for certain to be built 



