82 THE YOUNG 



worth Lodge. These boxes have movable 

 tops, so that the eggs or young birds can at 

 any time be inspected. The one figured is 

 tied against the bole of a fir about four feet 

 from the ground, and is occupied every year 

 by a pair of Marsh Tits. 



EggS. — The nest referred to above con- 

 tained eight fresh eggs, and the hen bird 

 was dead upon them when found. The 

 usual number is from six to eight. They 

 are white, with fine red spots, principally 

 at the large end. 



Varieties occasionally occur pure white 

 without any spots. 



56. BEARDED TIT. 



Parus biarmicus, Linn. 



BlARMICUS. 



Size. — Male, length, 6 in.; expanse, 

 about 7I in. Female, length, 5^ in. ; ex- 

 panse, j% in. 



Plumage. — Male, bill and eyes yel- 

 low ; eyelids bright orange, tinged with red 

 in the breeding season ; front, upper part 

 and sides of head grey, shading off to fawn- 

 colour behind the head and upon the back ; 

 wings darker ; primaries tipped with white, 

 which seem to form four white lines down 

 the back when the wings are closed ; the 

 outer edge of the tertials is also white ; 

 behind the bill and eye it is black, which 

 extends downwards, the feathers being 

 elongated and forming a black beard on 

 each side of the throat ; throat and breast 

 white, shading off to pale fawn at the sides ; 

 under tail coverts black ; tail fawn-colour, 

 the three outer feathers white at the tips, 

 the centre feathers much longer than the 

 side ones ; legs black. 



The Female is smaller than the male ; 

 the grey on the head is wanting ; the fawn- 

 colour is not so bright ; and the beard is not 

 so large, and is white ; and the under tail 

 coverts pale, tawny, orange or fawn-colour. 



NATURALIST. 



The Young has the beard indicated by a 

 black streak from the bill to the eye in the 

 male, it has also a large black patch on the 

 back. The outer tail feathers are white; 

 the three next black, broadly tipped with 

 white ; all the rest of the plumage similar 

 to the adult female. 



Varieties.— Mr. Bond heard of a white 

 one some years ago on Whittleseamere. 



Note.— The note is said to be clear and 

 musical, "and 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. 



Flight.— " Their flight was short and 

 low, very undulating, only sufficient to clear 

 the reeds." 



Migration. — They remain in their 

 favourite haunts in this country throughout 

 the year. 



Food.— The seeds of the reed and small 

 molluscs form a large proportion of the food 

 of this species, but small insects, larvae, &c, 

 are also appropriated. 



In Confinement they are said to be very 

 docile and easily tamed. A writer in Science 

 Gossip (April, 1870) says :— " I have kept 

 several pairs of these birds in cages (in 

 Holland), where they appeared to be very 

 happy as long as they were kept together ; 

 but as soon as one of them died, the other 

 began to pine, and never survived its mate 

 more than a week or fortnight. It is very 

 amusing to watch these birds at night, as 

 the male always covers the female with his 

 wings when asleep." 



Habitat. — The bearded Tit used to be 

 be found in most of the fenny districts of 

 Cambridge, Huntingdon, Suffolk, Norfolk, 

 and Lincolnshire, and no doubt, is still to 

 be met with occasionally in some of these 

 places. But it is very doubtful if it is now 

 to be met with regularly anywhere in this 

 country, except in the Norfolk " Broads," 



