40 BRITISH BIRDS 



brown and a few underlying violet marks. Unspotted or 

 finely spotted eggs occur. Av. size, '75 x '56 in. Laying 

 begins April-May. One brood usual. 



(15) Family : Panuridm 



76. Bearded-tit [Panurus biarmicus biarmicus (Linnseus)]. 

 Stationary in the Norfolk Broad district, and rarely occurs 

 outside it except in one or two places. 



Bird. Length 6| in. Recognised at all seasons by the long 

 rounded tail, the deep tawny hue of the upper-parts and flanks, 

 and the small yellow beak. The male has the head bluish-grey 

 with a pointed tuft or " moustache " of black feathers depend- 

 ing from between the eye and the beak. The outer tail- 

 feathers have white ends. Undor-parts mostly greyish-white 

 with a rosy tinge. Under tail-coverts black. The female lacks 

 the " moustache " and the black under tail-coverts ; her head 

 is tawny, passing below into greyish-white, and her back more 

 or less lined with black. 



Nest. Place : reed-bed or marsh, usually among the stems 

 of reed-mace, reed, or sedge. Material : generally reed-blades 

 lined with the flowering heads of the reed, and occasionally 

 feathers. 



Eggs. Usually 5-7. White " with streaks, scrawls, or spots 

 of liver brown." Av. size, '67 x '54 in. Laying begins in April. 

 Broods 3-4. 



(16) Family : Laniidce Shrikes 



77. Redbacked- shrike, butcher-bird [Lanius collurio collurio 

 Linnseus]. Summer visitor, chiefly to south and central 

 England and Wales. Bird of passage. 



Bird. Length 7 in. Only the adult male has the back red, 

 that of the female being dullbrownish- 

 chestnut, and that of the young 

 barred with black on red or reddish- 

 grey. The male has the top of the 

 head and neck grey, and a conspicuous 

 black band running backwards and 

 forwards from the corner of the eyes. 

 The rump is ash-grey. The tail has 

 the centre feathers black, the outer 

 black and white. The under-parts 

 -p. 44 are white with a rosy-buff tint on the 



breast. The wing quills mostly dark 

 brown. Bill thick and hooked. The female is much less 

 brilliant. The back as above stated. The under-parts are dull 



