Birds of Britain 



bird, more than any others perhaps of our rarer species, is 

 worth a journey to see. Inhabiting large and extensive 

 reed-beds, it used formerly to be abundant in the fens of 

 Huntingdon, Cambridge, and other eastern counties, but 

 with the reclaiming and draining of the land it has slowly 

 died out, only holding its own in those few places where 

 Nature still reigns supreme. Its exact systematic position 

 is doubtful, as it shows no close affinity with any other 

 known species; one point, however, is absolutely certain, 

 namely that its popular name of " Tit " is quite a misnomer, 

 as it has no connection in appearance or habits with those 

 delightful birds. The naturalist, therefore, who goes to 

 visit him at home must not search for him on trees or look 

 for his nest in holes. As the boat glides quietly past some 

 reed-bed his first acquaintance of this bird will be the clear 

 and unmistakable "ping-ping," a note answered almost 

 immediately by another close by. Soon, if he remains quiet, 

 he will see a small light-brown bird with long tail rise 

 from the reeds and, progressing with undulating flight, settle 

 again a short distance on. Although very tame and un- 

 suspicious, the Bearded Eeedling is very hard to watch, 

 owing to the thickness of the reeds in which he lives, but if 

 we wait about patiently we can see a good deal of him as 

 he searches the mud at the base of the reeds for minute 

 molluscs, of which he is extremely fond. These he swallows 

 whole, and having exhausted the treasures of one spot he 

 will run.up two reeds, resting one foot on each alternately, 

 with surprising rapidity and then fly off with a merry 

 " ping-ping " to renew his search in some other spot, and 

 possibly, if the place be more open, we may see him scratch 



72 



