632 Birds in the Vicinity of Tooting, Shrrei/, 



much towards the elucidation of the species of British birds. 

 For the ordinary Continental species, I refer the reader to 

 Temminck's Manuel. Our bird is called Mud-lark by the 

 bird-catchers. It is occasionally taken on the heaths round 

 London, in the autumn months ; and I have kept one so ob- 

 tained a twelvemonth in confinement. It is, however, of rare 

 occurrence inland. When on the sea shore, this species prin- 

 cipally feeds on small-shelled Mollusca. 



The Common Pipit [A. pratensis) is one of the most abun- 

 dant of British birds, and, perhaps, the most generally dif- 

 fused of any ; frequenting alike the mountain, the marsh, and 

 the sea shore, and occurring in equal abundance on the 

 bleakest upland moors, and along the richest water-meadows 

 of the south. Here it is quite as common as elsewhere. 



From what I have learned, I have reason to suspect that 

 the Great Pipit (A. Richards Auct.) was taken, a few seasons 

 ago, upon Tooting Common. One I lately examined, that 

 had been captured alive near London, and then killed and 

 made a specimen of, was undergoing its autumnal moult ; its 

 summer and winter changes being obviously precisely analo- 

 gous to those of A. pratensis. 



The Tree Pipit is a common summer visitant, and is the 

 Tit-lark of the London bird-catehers ; the A. pratensis being 

 known as the Pipit-lark. It arrives in the first week in 

 April, and departs late in September ; at which time it is de- 

 cidedly social. It is every where very abundant in this neigh- 

 bourhood. This bird differs greatly from all the other British 

 Motacillidae, as observed alive ; being quite of a different 

 make, and more equably poised on the centre of gravity; 

 whence all its attitudes are very different, and its movements 

 are far more deliberate than those of its congeners. The 

 mode of progression is indeed quite different, though ambu- 

 latory in both instances ; the slow gait of the tree pipit con- 

 trasting strikingly with the nimble run of all the others ; 

 which latter is, again, very unlike the quick step of the larks. 

 In captivity, it is an extremely healthy bird, and moults very 

 freely ; thrives upon almost any sort of food, and delights to 

 bathe and wash itself in a pan of water. The other pipits, 

 however, and also the wagtails, are very difficult to maintain 

 in health in a captive state : they refuse to wash themselves, 

 and suffer very much at the moulting period, both in spring and 

 autumn. I never knew one, or a wagtail, to change its plumage 

 well in the cage. All the latter, too, are very snappish in con- 

 finement towards other birds; a trait of character which is not 

 observable in the tree pipit. It is by far the finest songster 

 of the genus, and the most thoroughly migratory : it is also 



