90 OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



crest or chestnut colouring. Nestling in down : head, 

 neck, and under parts white ; marked on head and neck 

 with blackish brown stripes ; upper parts, wings, and 

 flanks brown, striped with blackish brown. 



Language. Call-note, a harsh kind of croak. Alarm- 

 note, " kek-kek." 



Habits. Essentially aquatic, and is rarely seen on the 

 wing. It flies just above the water with quick-beating 

 wings, and soon takes to that element again, where it 

 swims powerfully and dives splendidly, literally flying 

 under the water after its finny prey. When alarmed it 

 submerges its body, leaving only the bill above the surface. 

 On leaving its nest, it always covers the eggs with wet 

 weeds. 



Food. Fish, Crustacea, and frogs. 



Nest. May or June. One brood. 



Site. In a bed of rushes or reeds. It is a floating 

 nest, moored to some convenient reeds, and the rim 

 only just projects above the surface of the water. 



Materials. Pieces of decaying rushes, or reeds, or 

 other aquatic herbage heaped together. 



Eggs. Three or four. Pure chalky white when fresh, 

 but they are speedily stained and muddied to a dirty 

 brown. In shape elongated and pointed at both ends. 



BEARDED REEDLING OR TITMOUSE ] 

 (Pannrus biarmicus). 



Strictly local, and much rarer than it used to be. 

 Chiefly found in eastern counties. 



Haunts. Reed-beds. 



Plumage. Head bluish grey ; black loral patch in the 

 shape of a moustache. Nape, back and rump tawny 

 yellow ; upper parts orange-brown. Wings marked 

 with black, white and rufous. Tail very long and orange 

 brown ; outer feathers variegated with black and white. 

 Bill yellow. Legs black. Length 6| in. Female, head 



