740 
BIRD-LIFE. 
streaked with a darker shade; the wings show but a 
slight indication of the bands seen in the male; and the 
lower tail-coverts are grayish; the feet and beak are of 
the same colour as those of the male, namely, the first 
black, and the last yellow. Young birds are to be distin¬ 
guished from adults by having darker backs. 
The Bearded Tit is a native of Russia, Galicia, Hun¬ 
gary, England, France, Italy, Spain, and Holland; it 
is rare in Germany and Switzerland. It is a true reed- 
bird, and only frequents the neighbourhood of water and 
reeds, mostly where the latter grow in large beds and of 
great height, thus forming covert rarely visited by man, and 
therefore generally undisturbed. In these localities it lives 
so hidden from sight as only to be noticed by those who go 
out for the express purpose of seeking it. This bird is 
never seen on trees. It is a very lively, restless, bold, and 
powerful bird; hence a true Titmouse in character. It 
climbs up and down the reeds with great dexterity, 
swinging in air on the waving tops of the same, and 
practising all the inborn antics common to the family, 
with activity and patience. The note of the Bearded Tit 
is a short, clear “zip, zip;” the call is a peculiar 
chirping sound, and the song very simple, being really 
only a low twittering, interspersed with a few purring, 
disjointed notes. For all this, it is a favourite cage-bird 
on account of its lovely soft plumage and pretty 
moustache; its cheerful habits, and tameness, win for it 
the good-will and friendship of man. 
Its bag-shaped nest, if not so skilfully constructed as 
that of the Penduline Titmouse, is nevertheless one of 
the most artistic amongst birds’ nests: it is suspended 
from a few reeds crossing one another; the entrance 
hole is at the top; sometimes there are two. The 
