MR. J. II. GURNEY ON THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 
435 
a cluster, like the Long-tailed Titmouse, and my father has recorded 
a similar habit in the South African Colies (Zoul. 1872, p. 2993). 
Having supplied the fenman with some dust shot he presently 
brought Mr. Lubbock six killed at one discharge just before dark, 
males and females intermixed, which had made a ball of them- 
selves on the reeds (‘ Fauna of Norfolk,’ Southwell’s ed. p. 56). 
The hen Bearded Tits, which 1 have examined at birdstuffere’ 
shops and elsewhere, have had at least some trace of the black 
markings on the back, but the authors of ‘The Birds of Europe’ 
say that it is ultimately lost. Possibly they have had in their 
hands an abnormal instance of a female assuming male plumage 
(rf. ‘The Field,’ September 14th, 1872), a transformation which it 
may be now and then takes place in all birds : their plate excellently 
represents a male, female, and young, in two stages. 
For a long time after quitting the nest, and when they can flv 
perfectly, the young Bearded Tits have conspicuous black backs, 
visible a great way off on the wing. The back is tin* same dark 
colour when the young ones are in the nest, and it is quite a mistake 
to say that they are in any respect like the adidt female. After 
they leave it Booth says the young males can be distinguished by 
their more lemon-coloured bills. The nestling, when hatched, is 
blind ; and one of the most remarkable things about it is that even 
when only a day old, it has a brilliantly coloured mouth, for raised 
on the surface of the palate which is red, are four rows of black 
and white spots like the contrasted colours of the Buekbean flower. 
The tongue is also partly black which adds to the contrast. It 
would have been well to reproduce these colours, but my sketch of 
the palate, done from memory, is not sufficiently accurate for such 
bright tints. 
I think it is a good thing to summarise what is known about 
the distribution, past and present, of any rare species as has been 
done very acceptably by Mr. Aplin, such articles saving much 
labour to the future compilers of British Ornithology; and I will 
now briefly sketch what is known about the Bearded Tit in other 
English counties, beginning with Suffolk. 
Suffolk. — Local ornithologists think the Bearded Tit has almost 
died out in Suffolk, though it was common enough once, and that 
as lately as 1830, according to J. D. Hoy (Mag. of N. IL vol. iii. 
p. 328). Babington gives 1868 as the date of the last nest 
