TITS. 



455 



dead stems of sedges and reeds, intermixed with a few pieces of grass, and 

 invariably lined with the tops of reeds. The eggs are pure white, sprinkled all 

 over with small purplish red spots. The food of these tits during the winter 

 is principally the seed of the reed, and so intent are they in searching for it 

 that they have been taken with a bird -limed twig attached to the end of a 

 fishing-rod. When alarmed by a sudden noise or the passing of a hawk, they 

 utter their shrill notes and hide among the thick bottom of the reeds, but soon 

 resume their station, climbing the upright stems with the greatest facility. In 

 feeding they approach near to the long - tailed tit, often hanging with the head 

 downwards and turning themselves into curious attitudes. Their food is not 

 entirely the reed seed, but insects and their larvae, and the very young shell- 

 nails of different kinds which are numerous at the bottom of the reeds. Mr. 

 Keulemans, describing the finding of a nest near Rotterdam, states that " both old 

 birds made a great noise when I captured their little home; both incessantly 

 uttered their anxious note, churr churr, flying about me and performing a series 

 of rapid movements . . . Bearded tits have no real song, their vocal powers being 

 rather limited ; nevertheless, they produce peculiar notes for expressing their 

 different feelings. When rejoicing in each other's presence, or when one perceives 

 the arrival of its mate, they utter repeatedly their note ptjink, tjinck. W T hen 

 disturbed, frightened, or caught, both sexes utter a very peculiar sound, like tsjirrr- 

 irr irr rrrr. Distress or anxiety is expressed by er-arrh ee arr-chieur. When 

 uttering the latter, they erect the body, bow the head downwards, and puff the 

 feathers of the head and neck." In Holland many bearded tits are captured, 

 chiefly during the early part of October, when the old birds go on foraging 

 expeditions, accompanied by the young ones, to the number of six or seven in 

 a flock. They are then caught by means of nets, which are laid down among 

 the reeds, while decoy birds are placed at a short distance. The adult male 

 has the head clear bluish grey ; the lores and moustache stripe are black ; the 

 back is rich fawn-colour; the primaries are brown, edged with white; the tail- 

 feathers deep rusty red ; the throat and upper breast greyish white ; and the sides 

 of the body rich fawn-colour. The female is greyish fawn above, and greyish 

 white beneath. 



New Zealand The tits of this genus (Certhiparus) have a bill of moderate size, 



Creepers. curved and compressed, the wings are moderate and rounded, the tail 

 is also long and rounded, and the metatarsus comparatively long and broadly 

 scutellated in front. Its representatives are peculiar to New Zealand, the common 

 form, C. novce-zealandice, being confined to the wooded portions of the South Island ; 

 where it frequents low undergrowth and the outskirts of the bush where insect 

 life is abundant. During severe seasons it has been known to leave the shelter of 

 the bush to frequent the sheep stations, flitting about the meat stores, and picking 

 off morsels of fat from the bones and skins of the butchered animals. Its ordinary 

 food consists of minute beetles and other insects. The New Zealand creeper 

 breeds late in the summer, the young being sometimes found in the nest in 

 December. The eggs are white, spotted with brown and purple. Sir W. Buller 

 says that the nest is of a rounded form, and not unlike a large pear in shape. In 

 structure it is composed of dry vegetable fibres, fragments of wool, moss, spiders' 



