BEARDED UEED-BIRD. 



because, by different bendings of the knee-joint, they 

 can always contrive to make their weight press 

 equally upon the whole sole of the foot from heel to 

 toe. Even the shortness of the tail, or the almost 

 total absence of that organ in some of the species, is 

 convertible into a means of stability, inasmuch as 

 they can bring their buttocks to the ground, and add 

 the support of these to that of the feet, still retaining 

 the uniformity of pressure on the whole soles of the 

 latter. Thus though a bear cannot support the hori- 

 zontal spine on the hind feet alone, it can stand erect 

 so firmly upon them as to have the most perfect com- 

 mand of its paws, and, with the exception of man, 

 the bears are the only genus of mammalia that can do 

 this, at least to any degree of perfection. There are 

 many other interesting points in their structure, but 

 the above are the leading ones. 



BEARDED REED-BIRD (Calamophilus biarmi- 

 ciis Leach); provincial, Reed Pheasant, Bearded 

 Titmouse. This most elegant and truly beautiful of our 

 indigenous small birds, is an inhabitant of large reedy 

 tracts in various situations both of Europe and Asia, 

 being found in Sweden and other northern countries, 

 and plentifully along the reedy borders of the Caspian 

 Sea ; though nowhere in such abundance as in 

 Holland. In this country it inhabits the fenny 

 districts of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, where it is 

 not uncommon ; and is found also in the Essex 

 marshes, and in those of Sussex, bordering on the sea; 

 also in Gloucestershire, Lancashire, and Cornwall. 

 It has likewise been seen near Paisley, in Scotland. 



It is a small species ; but from the very great 

 length and thickness of its plumage, and the length 

 of its tail and leg*, it. appears when alive almost as 

 large as a robin. The bill is small and delicate, 

 somewhat of the form of the titmice (Pan/s), but 

 much weaker, and more arcuated, and the upper 

 mandible is slightly curved, and pointed ; of a rich 

 yellow colour inclining to orange, but fading almost 

 immediately after death. Irides, fine yellow ; in the 

 young of the year, white, with a yellowish tinge. 

 Between the bill and eyes is a tuft of pendent pointed 

 feathers on each side, forming a kind of moustaches ; 

 glossy jet black in the male, and of the same colour 

 with the surrounding plumage in the other sex. The 

 head, neck, and breast of the male, of a beautiful pure 

 bluish grey ; the latter softly tinted with purplish 

 black; chin and thratt very pale ash-grey, almost 

 white ; flanks yellowish-brown ; the back and tail a 

 very rich yellowish brown, inclining to orange, forming 

 a fine contrast with the grey neck ; scapulars wood- 

 brown ; greater quills blackish-grey, having their 

 outer webs edged with white ; secondaries edged 

 with orange-brown; tail long, and very wedge-shaped, 

 the exterior feathers having their outer webs 

 and tips pale reddish white, under tail-coverts jet 

 black, legs and toes black ; in the female, the chin, 

 breast, and sides of the neck, are whitish, with a 

 slight tinge of pink ; crown of the head, wood-brown ; 

 the occiput sometimes spotted with black ; back 

 yellowish brown, in some having a list of blackish 

 spots down the middle ; vent, and under tail-coverts, 

 pale yellowish, inclining to wood-brown. The young 

 of the year resemble the adult female, excepting in 

 the colour of the iris, and in having a very broad 

 black line along the back. 



This species has been arranged by Linnaeus, and by 

 the majority of subsequent writers, with the titmice in 

 the genus Parus; and some have even classed it among 



the shrikes ; but the reed-bird differs esncntiuHy from 

 both these in several important particulars, though on 

 the whole, perhaps, it more approximates to the former. 

 We have, however, minutely studied it in confinement, 

 and with great attention, when in company with all the 

 English species of Parus, and cannot perceive in it a 

 single character in accordance with the titmice, of 

 sufficient importance to entitle it to range in that 

 genus. It forms one of the numerous connecting 

 links between the small granivorous and insectivorous 

 birds, in many particulars nearly approximating to 

 some of the smaller exotic finches ; but we know of 

 no congruous species with which it can be placed, 

 and are inclined to Dr. Leach's opinion, who forms of 

 it a distinct genus, Calamophilus. 



It differs widely from the titmice in the structure 

 of the digestive organs, the stomach or gizzard being 

 much more muscular than in those birds, and the 

 oesophagus or gullet, containing a considerable en- 

 largement, or crop, as in the finches. 



Its manners and habits, also, its whole form, and 

 the nature and disposition of its plumage and 

 colours, all are quite at variance with the titmice : 

 but here it would occupy too much space to enter 

 largely into these particulars. Its mode of pro- 

 gression, when on ihe ground, is by a peculiar 

 shuffling walk ; that of the titmice is by successive 

 hops. It builds itself a regular nest in clumps of 

 reeds or rushes ; the genuine pari all nidificate 

 in holes. In all the latter the two sexes are much 

 alike ; in the reed-bird they are very dissimilar. 

 Their food also, and their haunts, are altogether 

 different. 



The reed-bird frequently places one foot upon its 

 food, while it picks it to pieces with its bill, in this 

 somewhat resembling the genuine titmice. But this 

 habit may be observed in various genera, and is even 

 different in the reed-bird from what it is in the pari"; 

 the latter usually grasp their food (a hemp-seed, for 

 example) with both feet in a peculiar way, and 

 after breaking the husk with quickly-repeated hard 

 knocks of the bill, draw forth and eat the kernel ; 

 but the species now under consideration has not the 

 least notion of thus hammering at a seed ; nor could 

 it succeed in this, were it even to attempt it, its bill 

 not being formed for such labour ; but, in confine- 

 ment, we have frequently seen it sit by the side of a 

 titmouse that was so employed, and, as soon as the 

 seed was broken, endeavour to make off with the 

 prize. This trick was so often successfully practised 

 by an individual we possessed, that the different tit- 

 mice which were confined with him became at last 

 extremely shy of attempting to crack a seed when he 

 happened to be near them. 



Bearded reed-birds have a remarkable habit of 

 scratching each other's polls in the manner of parrots ; 

 and when in the aviary, without a companion of their 

 own species, will frequently go up to other birds, and, 

 presenting the poll to them, seem to implore them 

 to perform the kind office. We have witnessed this 

 repeatedly, and have even seen its desire gratified by 

 birds of very different natures, as the aberdavine 

 (Carduelis spinus) and the mountain linnet (Linaria 

 montana). Among themselves they are doing this 

 continually. 



We have noticed another curious habit in the indi- 

 viduals which have been kept by us in confinement. 

 Among the various seeds which were daily placed 

 in the aviary for the sustenance of their granivorous 

 F F2 



