'TITMOUSE. PASSERES.. PARUS. 237 
Lath. Syn. 4. p. 552. 20.—Albin. t. 48.—Lewin’s Br. Birds, v. 3. t. 122.— 
Mont.Ornith. Dict.—Id. Supp.— Wale. Syn. 2. t. 148.—Bewick’s Br. Birds, 
v. 1. p. t. 246. male.—Shaw’s Zool. 10. p. 62. t. 7. copy from Bewick. 
The habits of this beautiful bird cause it to be very par- 
tially distributed, and it has only hitherto been met with in 
some peculiar situations, chiefly in the southern part of the 
kingdom. It lives amongst the reeds that fringe the banks of 
some of our rivers, and that form a considerable portion of 
the herbage of the fenny districts of our island.—It has been 
found in the marshes between Erith and London, in some Locality. 
parts of Gloucestershire, as well as in the extensive marshy 
tracts near Cowbit in Lancashire; and Montracu mentions 
having killed it near Winchelsea in Sussex, amongst the reeds 
which there grow close to the sea-shore. I have not met with 
it in the more northern counties, nor in any part of Scotland, 
although constantly inquired after in all such places as were 
likely to afford it an appropriate retreat. From the difficult 
situations in which it resides, its history in this country is but 
little known, and the nest has not yet been found, or at least 
has not been distinguished from that of the reed wren, which 
inhabits the same places.—TEMMINCcK tells us, that the nest Nest, &c. 
is affixed to the stems of the reeds, and always placed beyond 
the reach of the highest floods, but he does not mention the 
materials of which it is formed. We also learn from him, that 
it lays six or eight reddish-white eggs, spotted with reddish- 
brown, principally disposed around the larger end. It is dis- 
persed throughout the greater part of Europe, in its peculiar 
localities, and is, as might be expected, particularly abundant 
in Holland. It is also found in Asia, upon the marshy bor- 
ders of the Caspian Sea. 
Its food consists of aquatic insects and their larvee; with Food. 
the seeds of such plants and grasses as affect moist situa- 
tions. 
PuateE 51. Fig. 6, Natural size. 
Bill orange-yellow. Irides bright gamboge-yellow. Be- General 
tween the bill and eyes is a tuft of loose pendent black pees 
