﻿TITMOUSE. 



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the colour of it orange, when the bird is alive, but face, i 1 me- 

 diately on death to a dingy yellow : irides yellow : the head pale 

 afh-colour : beneath the eye is a tuft of black feathers ending in 

 a point, not unlike a mufiachoe : the hind part of the neck, and 

 the upper part of the back, are of an orange bay or rufous- 

 colour : the throat white : bread flefh-coloured : belly, fides, 

 and thighs, the fame as the back, but paler : the vent black : 

 the tail is two inches three quarters long, and of a cuneiform 

 ihape; it is of nearly the fame colour with the back ; the outer 

 feather is very fhort, dufky at the bafe, and nearly white at the 

 end ; the fecond nearly the fame, but the end only white for a 

 little way; the third only fo juft at the tip: the legs are 

 black. 



The female differs from the male in wanting the whifkers under Female. 



the eyes : the crown of the head is ferruginous, fpotted with 

 black : and the vent feathers are not black, but of the fame 

 colour as the reft of the under parts. 



Thefe birds are found in England, but have hitherto been Place an» 

 obferved only in marfhy fituations, where reeds grow, on the 

 feeds of which it feeds, as well as fmall infects; both of which 

 have been found in their ftomachs. They are pretty frequent, and 

 in not inconfiderable quantities, in the marines among the reeds 

 between Erith and London, and are again met with in fuch-like 

 places near Gloucefter, as well as among the great tracts of reeds 

 near Cowbit in Lancashire. In all thefe places I make no doubt 

 of their breeding, as I know that they ftay in the firft-named parts 

 the whole year. The neft is not known for certain ; but I have 

 feen one, which was compofed of very foft downy materials, 



Vol. II. 4 B fufpended 



Manners. 



