5 
feed on all sorts of small insects, as also do their progeny, which frequent the water and reeds, 
and they also eat the seeds of the reed. 
“Jn summer, when insects are abundant, they do not eat any seeds, but pick off from the 
leaves and stems of the reeds, as also the roots of water-plants that are uncovered by the water, 
gnats, spiders, flies, ephemera, water-moths, leaf-lice of various sorts that infest the plants, small 
beetles, and many kinds of insects and their larve, and in winter seek out the pupe of the small 
fen-frequenting insects. In the autumn, when insects are less abundant and the seeds of the 
reeds are ripe, they climb about the reed-stems and on the waving panicles, amongst which they 
often also find insects. The seeds of the common reed (Arundo phragmitis) form their chief 
subsistence during the hard weather; but they probably do not disdain the seeds of other water- 
plants.” 
They make excellent cage-birds, and are indeed said to have been first introduced into 
England as such. Our artist, Mr. Keulemans, has a couple in a cage, which were brought over 
from Holland, and we have often been amused to see how affectionate they are towards each 
other. When roosting they get close together, and the male, who appears to be the pattern of a 
model husband, generally takes the outside place on the perch and puts his wing over his mate 
to protect and keep her warm during the night. Indeed the Bearded Reedling is a particularly 
affectionate little bird, and is very tame in its disposition. Professor Von Nordmann writes :— 
“The great agility of this bird does not prevent its being so tame and docile that I have 
succeeded in capturing several individuals hopping on the ground in the gardens by the aid of a 
little birdlime placed on the end of a stick.” 
The following well-known description of the Bearded Reedling has been often quoted by 
writers on the history of this species; but as no account of the bird’s habits would be complete 
without the well-written though familiar phrases, we extract them forthwith from ‘ Loudon’s 
Magazine,’ to which they were contributed by an anonymous correspondent. He had found the 
bird near Barking Creek, in Essex, and says :— 
‘‘ Arrived on our ground, we traversed it for some time without success, and were about to 
leave it, when our attention was roused by the alarm-cry of this species, and, looking up, we saw 
eight or ten of these beautiful little creatures on the wing, just topping the reeds over our heads, 
uttering in full chorus their sweetly musical note, which resembles (if it may be likened to a 
word) the monosyllable ping, ping, pronounced at first slow and single, then two or three times 
in a more hurried manner; it may be compared to the music of very small cymbals, is clear and 
ringing, though soft, and corresponds well with the delicacy and beauty of the form and colour 
of the bird. We saw several flocks during the morning, or, what is more probable, the same 
flock several times. Their flights are short and low, only sufficient to clear the reeds; on the 
seedy tops of which they alight to feed, hanging, like most of the tribe, with the head or back 
downwards. If disturbed, they immediately descend by running, or rather by dropping. The 
movement is rapid along the stalk to the bottom, where they creep and flit, perfectly concealed 
from view by the closeness of the covert and the resembling tints of their plumage.” 
The accompanying notes are from the pen of the late Mr. J. D. Hoy, who is well known to 
have been an accurate observer of the habits of birds :— 
“The borders of the large pieces of fresh water in Norfolk, called Broads, particularly 
iS) 
