THE ROCK PIPIT 163 



flights just in advance of our steps seldom fail to 

 draw the attention. It may be identified at once 

 by the absence of the white pattern on the tail 

 (which is replaced by smoke-brown) and by its 

 large size. In general colouration it resembles the 

 Meadow Pipit. Its whole life is almost passed 

 between the cliffs and low water mark. It is by 

 no means a shy bird, and may be watched flitting 

 about the stones and rocks, or running about the 

 shingle and weed-scattered shore, if approached too 

 closely rising In a wavering sort of way, cheeping 

 mournfully as it goes, and again alighting a little 

 farther on ; and this will be repeated for a long 

 distance if we care to follow. Except in autumn 

 and winter the Rock Pipit is neither gregarious nor 

 sociable ; although even in summer many pairs of 

 birds may be met with close together along the same 

 range of cliffs. 



Like many other birds we could name the Rock 

 Pipit becomes increasingly interesting in spring. 

 As soon as the first real warm days arrive the bird 

 regains its long-lost song, and from this time on- 

 wards until the young ones are hatched, its cheerful 

 strains may be heard along the shore, often almost 

 drowned by the roar of the sea dashing against the 

 bird's rock-bound haunts. Sometimes this Pipit 

 may be heard warbling sotto voce as it sits upon the 

 cliffs, but this is exceptional, for the Rock Pipit 

 like its congeners sings chiefly as he flies. He has 



