148 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



63. BEARDED TITMOUSE. 



Panurus hiarmicus. 



I am not aware that any instance of the occurrence 

 of this bird in our county has hitherto been recorded, 

 though it was in former years pretty common amongst 

 the vast reed-beds which fringed Whittlesea Mere in 

 the closely adjoining county of Huntingdon. I should 

 hardly, however, consider myself justified in admitting 

 it into this list solely on that ground, but do so from 

 the fact that on one occasion I heard its unmistakable 

 call in a small patch of reeds on the left bank of the 

 Nen at a short distance below Lilford. This happened 

 in the month of September certainly, of the year I do 

 not feel quite sure, but it must have been either 1848 

 or 1849. I had never previously heard the note, and 

 w^as entirely puzzled ; I w^as alone in a boat, and 

 though I attempted, after waiting a considerable time, 

 to get a sight of the unknown bird by forcing it to 

 take flight, I could not succeed in so doing, and it 

 w^as only after an interval of some years that I again 

 heard the same notes amongst the Broads of East 

 Norfolk, and found that they proceeded from a party 

 of " Eeed-Pheasants," as these birds are called in 

 that district. There could be no mistake about it ; 

 my unknown bird was undoubtedly a Bearded Tit- 

 mouse, nor was there anything extraordinary in the 

 fact of his presence in the spot mentioned, as the 

 species is given to autumnal wanderings, and Whittle- 

 sea Mere is within a very moderate distance as a bird 

 flies, with, many opportunities for rest by the way. 

 I can say but very little of the habits of these birds 

 in a wild state, having only met with a few now and 



