BEARDED TITMOUSE. 521 



is plentiful on the Don and the Volga and, as already men- 

 tioned, on the shores of the seas into which those rivers 

 empty themselves. Further to the eastward it has not been 

 noticed. Mr. Kohson reports it from Smyrna and Varna. 

 In Greece it is said to be often seen in autumn, and Lord 

 Lilford observed it in Albania, while it would seem to be 

 found not unfrequently along the Danube, and to abound in 

 Hungary, though very uncommon, according to Mr. Danford, 

 in Transsylvania. It inhabits' suitable situations in Italy 

 and Sicily, and Mr. Saunders observed it in Southern 

 Spain. In France it is extremely local and of rare appear- 

 ance, but it occurs more regularly in Belgium. Through- 

 out the continent it is considered a migratory bird, not 

 usually wintering in its breeding-quarters, while with us its 

 habits are much more sedentary. 



In the adult male, when alive, the bill and irides are of 

 a fine delicate yellow : the top of the head bluish-grey ; a 

 black patch on the lore extends half way over the eye above, 

 and beneath it to the base of the ear-coverts, joining a loose 

 tuft of long, black, lanceolate feathers, springing from the 

 side of the chin and throat, and forming a pointed moustache, 

 three-quarters of an inch in length, which when erected casts 

 a shadow on the neck, as seen in the figure ; ear- coverts and 

 side of the neck, pearl-grey ; nape, mantle, back and rump, 

 bright orange-tawny ; upper tail-coverts and three middle pair 

 of tail-quills, deep rufous, the third pair of the latter the same, 

 tipped with an indistinct triangular spot of greyish-white, 

 the second pair, white on the distal end of the outer and 

 adjoining part of the inner web, the former being mottled 

 with grey, the outer pair black at the base and on the greater 

 part of the inner web, the rest being white ; the wing-quills 

 brownish-black, the first six primaries being more or less 

 broadly edged outwardly and tipped with white, all the rest 

 with deep rufous, while the tertials are white on the inner 

 web, which has a rufous edge ; the lesser wing-coverts grey- 

 ish, tipped with tawny; the other wing-coverts brownish- 

 black, broadly edged and tipped with rufous. Chin and 

 throat, dull white, the sides of the latter tinged with rose- 



VOL. I. 3 X 



