519 
X. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE HABITS OF 
THE BEARDED TIT (PANURUS BIARMICUS) 
IN CONFINEMENT. 
By J. Young, F.Z.S. 
Read z'/lh February, 1883 . 
The difficulties in tlie way of observing tliis clianning bird in its 
natural state, owing to its scarcit}', its shyness, and the nature of 
its haunts, are so great, that I venture to think that a few observa- 
tions on its habits in confinement may not prove altogether 
uninteresting. 
I may remark en passant that the English name is rpiite a 
misnomer, for it has, in my opinion, no affinity whatever to the 
true Tits, of which genus (Pariis) I have kept every indigenous 
species and some others ; indeed, I do not consider that it is nearly 
allied to any other British bird.* I have kept Bearded Tits almost 
continuously from 18 < 0 to 1882, when my last — a male which I had 
had nearly five yeai-s — died. 
In the spring of 1875 I possessed a cock and two hens, the former 
obtained in November, 1873, and the latter in November, 1874. 
They were, I have every reason to suppose, at the time of purchase^ 
birds which had been recently caught and imported from Holland! 
Observing that they evinced a desire to breed, I procured some 
coarse grass which I found growing on a railway embankment. 
Hie stems of this grass were from eighteen to twenty-four inches 
high. I imported as much as I could get, roots and all, into my 
aviary. In the centre of one of the thickest tufts I placed a 
wire nest such as is used for Canaries. The birds displayed the 
• See foot-note by Mr. Stevenson, p. 522 .— Ed. 
