24 Q Plumage of the Bearded Titmouse' "when young. 



mouse, which had been found and preserved by an excelleirt 

 bird-stufFer in that town. Thinking the three birds very 

 beautiful, I made an accurate coloured drawing of them of 

 the size of life. The pretty sketch and pleasing account of 

 this species, already alluded to, induced me to turn to my 

 own drawing, and observing the remarkable difference in the 

 plumage of the young and old bird, I thought it might be 

 acceptable to your Magazine, and have therefore copied, as 

 accurately as possible, the original. Never having seen this 

 species in their live state, I am unable to give the character, 

 but as far as regards colour, my drawing will, I believe, be 

 found perfectly correct. I am. Sir, &c. 



J. Lakes. 

 TAskeard Vicarage^ Cornwall^ Aug, 15. 1829. 



Description, taken 

 from the drawing sent. 

 {Jg. 41.) — In the 

 young bird of the year 

 the bill is orange yel- 

 low ; the irides bright 

 yellow ; from the beak 

 to the eye a black 

 streak, but no pendent 

 tuft of loose black fea- 

 thers, forming a beard, 

 as in the adult male ; 

 head, neck, breast, and 

 under parts yellowish 

 brown; chin somewhat 

 lighter ; back black ; 

 scapulars varied with 

 brown, black, and 

 white ; wing, prima- 

 ries black edged with 

 white, secondaries dark 

 brown; wing coverts 

 barred brown and 

 black ; carpus and 

 their coverts 

 black, edged 



bastard wing white ; 

 orange brown; outer 



centre tail-feathers and 

 tail-feathers graduated. 



with white; legs and toes black. The nest of the Bearded 

 Titmouse (Parus biarmicus) is thus described in the Zoological 

 Jcmrnal, vol. iii. p. 85, 86. : — "It was placed near the ground, 

 being sustained only an inch or two above the surface by the 

 strength of the stems of the coarse grass upon which it was 

 fixed : it was composed entirclv of dried bents, the finer ones 



I 



