38 A BIRD COLLECTOR'S MEDLEY. 



Afterwards, while I was stuffing the birds, we had a random discussion on 



the position of the Bearded Tit in ornithology. S , who knew least on the 



subject, laid it down that it was most nearly allied to the Bullfinch ! The rest 

 agreed that the local name of Reed Pheasant was more satisfactory than 

 Bearded Tit. I saw myself no similarity to a Tit in any of their actions, 

 whereas their appearance as they rose was rather suggestive of a small 

 Pheasant. When it came to skinning them, apart from the shape of the tail, 

 I noticed a certain resemblance in the texture of the feathers to those of the 

 Dartford Warbler, and, as in the case of the latter bird, there is a sort of 

 sturdiness about them ; one is not surprised that they can brave the rigours of 

 our English cold. They seemed always to be in the thickest part of the 

 reeds, where there was water beneath them, and, when once alarmed, nothing- 

 short of trampling would get them out, and when they were out one had to 

 shoot quickly, or they were in again, and this makes it very difficult to get a 

 good specimen for stuffing. I doubt whether they are as rare as they are said 

 to be. We heard the note several times after we had got our birds, and Z 

 said that he could get a pair whenever he wanted them, but he was fully 

 cognisant of their charms, and never shot them himself. He said that in the 

 spring they often came and sat quite close to him as he worked on his marsh. 



