522 
Should one die, the rest proclaim their grief by loud and incessant 
calls, nor do they cease calling for some days. It is almost impossible 
to keep one alone. The hen of a pair in my possession having died, 
the cock Avas inconsolable, refusing to touch his food. Hoping to 
divert his attention, I alloAved him to fly about the room, when he 
at once settled down in front of his own reflection in the looking- 
glass with every sign of delight. This little incident suggested to 
mo the idea of hanging a small looking-glass in his cage : this I did, 
and he at once appeared perfectly happy, taking to his food, and 
nestling close to the glass, uttering a series of low, soft, musical 
notes, eminently expressive of happiness. Whether he eventually 
discovered the deception I know not, hut ho did not long survive 
his loss. 
The following curious accident happened to one of these birds in 
my possession, which hut for its timely discovery would have 
caused its death. It would seem that, whdst preening its feathers, 
the sharp point of the lower mandible penetrated the loose skin of 
the upper part of the breast, and the poor bird was unable to 
extricate it. When discovered, the feathers of the breast Avero 
saturated with the saliva which Imd escaped from its open mouth; 
and the loAver mandible Avas found to he so bent, that it was two or 
three days before it could close its beak properly. As soon as the 
lower mandible had been disengaged, and the bhd returned to the 
aviary, it at once Avent to the Avater and drank copiously, evidently 
suffering from severe thirst, doubtless caused by the loss of saliva. 
I do not think it Avould be at all difficult to breed this bird in 
confinement, proAuded one could hit upon suitable food for the 
young ones. In the case of Si.skins I successfully overcame this 
obstacle, after ten years of failure, by supplying the old birds with 
the pupaj of the Gentles of the common Blow-fly. This food might 
possibly ansAver in the case of the Bearded Tit. 
[The folloAving note on the above paper has been kindly furnished 
by Mr. H. Stevenson. — E d.] 
]^oxE. My long acquaintance Avith this beautiful species on our 
Norfolk Broads, in a purely Avild state, must bo my excuse for 
supplementing some of Mr. Young’s remarks upon its habits and 
