CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 1 59 



year round. It is found in almost every sort of 

 locality — pasture, cultivated and waste, to high 

 moorlands in the summer ; in winter, however, the 

 bird leaves the higher lands, and may be found near 

 the seashore and tidal creeks. 



From ornithological books it would appear that 

 the Meadow- Pipit was at one time supposed to be 

 closely allied to the Lark family, but the latest 

 authorities class it with the Wagtails. It is sombre- 

 looking in plumage, the prevailing colours being a 

 mixture of olives and browns — as are all Pipits 

 more or less — therefore it is not very noticeable. 

 In movement it has much the character of the Lark, 

 running about amongst grassy lands in search of 

 insects ; and when it indulo-es in songf it rises to 

 some forty to fifty feet in the air in manner very 

 similar to the Tree-Pipit, and slowly descends again 

 with outspread wings. 



The chief interest, to my mind, however, about 

 this species seems to lie in the fact that it is the bird 

 into whose nest the Cuckoo so often deposits one of 

 its eggs. On the first arrival of the Cuckoo the 

 Meadow-Pipit may be seen in company acting as a 

 sort of page, and this is certainly a very interesting 

 study. As soon as the young Cuckoo is hatched 

 out, he makes it his business to monopolise the nest 

 for himself, turning everything else out ; then the 

 foster-parents rear him up and do not leave him 

 till he is well able to take care of himself. I have 

 seen one of these Titlarks feeding a young Cuckoo 

 who was well able to fly. 



