The Bearded Tit Experiment at Hornsea Mere. 169 



ment. This was, of course, subject to the necessary permission 

 being obtained. 



However, the president of the committee (Mr. W. H. St. 

 ■Quintin), generously undertook to obtain several pairs of 

 the birds from Holland, at his own expense, and to keep them 

 for several months in his aviaries before liberating them. 

 Notes and criticisms on this experiment have already appeared.* 

 On April nth, 191 1, fourteen birds (eight males and six females) 

 were liberated by Mr. St. Quintin. f They were reported occa- 

 sionally after ; but unfortunately our bird-watcher at the Mere 

 was not competent as an ornithologist, although towards the 

 end of his engagement he stated that he had seen a pair followed 

 by its young. This year, our watcher of the two past seasons 

 having taken another situation, we engaged a more experienced 

 ornithologist as bird-watcher in Mr. George Bolam, who took 

 up his duties on April 20th, with special instructions to look 

 out for the Bearded Tits. He immediately reported that they 

 were in evidence, and shortly after that, three paii^s at the least 

 were feeding young at the nests. 



On May loth and nth, the writer visited the Mere in com- 

 pany with the bird-watcher, and was delighted to see many 

 Bearded Tits ; adult males and females, and also young birds, 

 begging with quivering wings, for food from their parents. 

 Adult males, in their beautiful characteristic plumage, pre- 

 dominated ; sometimes five or six being visible at the same 

 moment, which rather pointed to some of the females being 

 already engaged with second nests. On a previous occasion, 

 the watcher had seen eight males (curiously the exact number 

 liberated) engaged in chasing one female. The colony now 

 appears to be vv'ell established, and under favourable circum- 

 stances should contain not less than fifty or sixty birds at the 

 end -of the present season. Owing to the vast and almost 

 inextricable masses of reeds, etc., at certain parts of the Mere, 

 and the practical impossibility of getting to them, the Bearded 

 Tit should become quite a common species there — even possibly 

 the strongest single colony in England — and a welcome addition 

 to this ornithological paradise. 



The birds appeared to be equally as much at home as I 

 have seen them on the Norfolk Broads and in Holland ; and 

 their active, restless habits, together with their clear metallic 

 ■'ping ping' notes, render an additional charm to the Mere. 

 I also noticed at Hornsea — as I have done elsewhere (although 

 I do not remember having seen it recorded) — the peculiar 

 Dragon-fly-like flight of a pair of Bearded Tits when in the air 



* See The Naturalist, 191 1, pp. 45, 172, 279 and 348 ; and 1912, p. 22. 

 Also British Birds, Vol. V., p. io8. 



t The Naturalist, 191 1, pp. 279-280. .1 



1Q12 June I. 



