55* T I T M 0 U S fh
19.
CAPE T.
La Mefange da Cap de Bonne Elperance, Son. Voy. Jnd. vol, it. p. 206*
pi. 115.
Le Petit Deuil, Buf, oif. v. p. 445.
D escription. rJ"’H E bill in this fpecies is black: irides red: the head,
neck, back, belly, and wing coverts, pale cinereous grey:
quills black, edged with white: tail black above and white beneath
: legs black.
Place and
Manners.
This bird inhabits the Cafe of Good Hope, and conftrudls a neft
in Ihape not unlike a bottle with a lhort neck: it is compofed
of a kind of cotton, and placed in the thickeft lhrubs. The
neck is narrow, and on the outfide there is a fort of additional
neft, ferving for the lodgment of the male, while the female fits,
or broods her young within. It is faid that when the female goes
out of the neft, the male ftrikes againft the outfide with all the
force of his wings, which occafions the edges of the entrance to
collapfe together, fo as to prevent the entrance of fuch infefts,
&c. as might do injury to the young in their abfence.
20. Parus blarmicus, Lin. Syjt. i. p. 340. N° 12.— Scop. ann. i, N° 241.—
BEARDED T. Frif ch. t. 8.
D escription.
La Mefange barbue, ou le Mouftache, Brif. orn. iii. p. 567^ N° 12.—
Buf. oif.v. p. 418. pi. 18.—PI. enl. 618. f. i . 2.
Pendulus, Kram. el. p. 373.
Beardmanica, Albin, i. pi. 48.
Lead: Butcher-bird, Edvj. pi. 55.
Bearded Tit moule, Br. Zool. i. N° 167.—Aril. Zool.
Br. Muf. Lev, Muf.
C I Z E of the Long-tailed Litmoufe, but is bigger in the body :
length fix inches and a quarter. Bill five lines and a halfj
the
Description*
the colour of it orange* when the bird is alive, but fade; i r m ediately
on death to a dingy yellow : irides yellow : the head pale
alh-colour : beneath the eye is a tuft of black feathers ending in
a point, not unlike a muftacboe: the hind part of thé neck, and
the upper part of the back, are of an orange bay or rufous-
colour : the throat white : bread: flelh-coloured: belly, fxdes,
and thighs, the fame as the back, but paler: the vent black :
the tail is two inches three quarters long, and of a cuneiform
fhape; it is of nearly the fame colour with the back; the outer
feather is very fhort, dulky at the bafe, and nearly white at the
end ; the fecond nearly the fame, but the end only white for a
little way, the third only fo juft at the tip: the legs are
black.
The female differs from the male in wanting the whilkers under
the eyes: the crown of the head is ferruginous, fpotted with
black: and the vent feathers are not black, but of the fame
colour as the reft of the under parts.
Thefe birds are found in England, but have hitherto been
obferved only in marfhy lituations, where reeds grow, on the
leeds of which it feeds, as well as fmall infects; both of which
have been found in their ftomachs. They are pretty frequent, and
in not inconfiderable quantities, in the marfhes among the reeds
between Erith and London, and are again met with in fuch-like
places near Gloucefter, as well as among the great trafts of reeds
near Cowbit in Lancajhire. In all thefe places I make no doubt
of their breeding, as I know that they flay in the firft-named parts
the whole year. The neft is not known for certain; but I have
fcen one, which was compofed of very fbft downy materials,
V ol. II. 4 B fufpended
F emale.
Place and
Manners.