BEARDED TIT. 221 



stalk to the bottom, where they creep and flit, perfectly con- 

 cealed from view by the closeness of the covert, and the 

 resembling tints of their plumage.' 



Niditication commences towards the end of April ; one nest, 

 however, was found in 184.6, that spring having been very 

 mild, which must have been built the latter end of March. 



The nest is placed among tufts of grass on the ground, 

 and is formed of dry stalks and blossoms of grass, reeds, and 

 sedge; the finer ones on the inside, and the coarser on the 

 outside. 



The eggs, which are from four to six, rarely seven in 

 number, are of a white or faint pink colour, irregularly 

 speckled, spotted, and streaked with reddish brown, with a 

 tinge of purple. 



Male; length, about six inches; bill, clear orange; the upper 

 part the longest; between it and the eye and downwards 

 beyond it, is a jet black moustache, ending in a point. The 

 bird seems to have the power of puffing out these feathers 

 when excited. Iris, clear orange; forehead, -head, and neck, 

 delicate grey; nape, yellowish brown, tinged with orange; 

 chin, throat, and breast, pure white, sometimes tinged with 

 grey, verging into yellowish or faint pink below, and on the 

 sides to salmon-colour. Back, fawn-colour, as the nape. 



The wings reach to within two inches and a quarter of 

 the end of the tail; greater wing coverts, fawn-colour; lesser 

 wing coverts, black; primaries, dusky greyish brown, with 

 narrow white outer edges; the first feather very short, the 

 second and fifth equal, the third longer, the fourth the longest. 

 Secondaries edged with orange brown; tertiaries, buff white 

 on the inner webs, on the outer black, broadly edged with 

 dark fawn-colour. The tail, which is \vedge-shaped, has the 

 four middle feathers fawn-colour, the outer one black at the 

 base, and pale reddish white at the end; the two next white 

 on the outer webs, and pale buff on the inner, whitening 

 towards the tip; the middle pair are the longest, the others 

 graduated, each shorter than the other. Upper tail coverts, 

 lawn-colour; under tail coverts, jet black; legs, toes, and claws, 

 black. 



The female is rather less than the male. Between the bill 

 and the eye is a dusky spot; the moustache is white, the 

 feathers elongated as in the male. Head on the crown, 

 brown, more or less dark, spotted with black on the poll; 

 neck, brownish white on the sides; chin, throat, and breast, 



