279 
THE BEARDED=TIT IN HOLDERNESS. 
W.H. ST. QUINTIN, F.Z.S., 
Scampston, E. Yorks. 
ALTHOUGH I believe there is no record of the existence, as a 
resident, of the Bearded Tit, in the East Riding, even before 
the drainage of Holderness it has often occurred to me that, 
if once started, there is no reason why they should not do 
well at Hornsea Mere, where the natural conditions seem so 
suitable. 
Some members of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union know 
that, with this object in view, I purchased last autumn a 
number of these birds from two London dealers, who have 
agents in Holland, and who often have Dutch marsh birds 
for sale. 
I kept the birds in roomy out-door aviaries from November 
last, and my intention was to enlarge them on the mere as soon 
as Spring weather really arrived. I have often kept Bearded 
Tits, and find that, as a staple food, maw seed* suits them 
exceedingly well. But it is obvious that this is an acquired 
taste, and that before they were set free, it would be necessary 
to get them accustomed to such food as they would find on 
the Mere before insect life appeared. I had previously never 
found them notice the seeds of the Common Reed, which are 
stated by various authorities to be their main winter food. 
However, by rubbing out the reed seeds, and mixing them 
with the aviary food, I found, after a time, that my captives 
were taking to their natural diet; and for the first time, I 
began to feel confident that the experiment might succeed. 
It was not till the r1th April that the weather seemed 
sufficiently mild for birds that had been kept in captivity so 
long, to have a good chance, so on that day I took six pairs 
over and two odd cocks, and set them free on the south side 
of the Mere, near the boathouse. I let them out of the travel- 
ling cage by degrees, but it was a little disconcerting to see 
the first little batch of five, after hopping about near the cage, 
which we had fixed up against an alder tree, take to the air, 
and, calling loudly, fly clean out of our sight, but luckily in 
the direction of the boggy wood at the Wassand end of the 
Mere, where there is a large extent of suitable ground, and we 
felt fairly confident that they would drop into this. 
I was more careful about the others, and let them out by 
twos and threes, so that they might find their way gradually 
into the reed beds. 
Since the middle of April I have heard from time to time, 
from our watcher, that he had seen some of the birds about, 
* The seed of the Poppy. 
Io1r Aug. I. 
