BEARDED TITMOUSE. MALE. 
Parus Biarmicus. 
La mesange barbue, ou le 
Moustache. 
Least Butcher-bird. 
Bearded Titmouse. 
Lin.Sjst. i . p. 340. No. 12. 
Briss. Orn.iiu p. 5 67. No. 12, 
Edw . pi. 55. 
Lath. Gen. Sjn. ii. p. 55 2. 
The Countess of Albemarle brought a cage of these birds from Denmark, 
and some having made their escape from confinement, the Count de Buf- 
fon supposes, that from this circumstance a colony was found in England. 
They are frequently met with in the marshes between Erith and Lon- 
don, in the like situations near Gloucester, and among the reeds near 
Cowbet in Lancashire ; in all which places there is every reason to suppose 
they propagate their species, as it is known for certain that they remain 
with us the whole year; for which reason, Mr. Latham is inclined to think 
that they have been indigenous ah origine, and that it is merely owing to 
their frequenting the reed beds (which being overflowed by every tide, are 
inaccessible to us) , which accounts for the habits of these birds being so 
little known to English naturalists. 
A characteristic feature of the male, is a tuft of pretty long black feathers 
on each side of the head, which rise a little above the eyes, and turning 
downwards fall on the neck, where ending in a point, they exhibit the 
resemblance of mustaches or whiskers ; and to this singularity the name of 
the bird in different countries may be traced. 
The female is rather smaller, and differs from the male in not having 
the black feathers on the sides of the neck ; the crown of the head is of a fer- 
luginous colour, spotted with black; the outmost feathers of the tail are 
black, the ends white. 
