WAGTAILS AND PIPITS 



169 



As far as its characteristic mtn-enK-nts are con- 

 cerned, the Painted Redstart might as well he the 

 common Redstart of the Eastern States. For, 

 according to Mr. Hen.^haw, hke that h'wd his 

 western cousin dances about with his wings and 

 tail half spread, flits nervously from tree to tree, 

 dashing out occasionally to snap up an insect on 

 the wing, seldom stays in the same tree more 

 than a few minutes, and often clings to the side 



111 ,1 tree trunk long enough to dig a i^rub out 

 nf tlu- hark. 



riie striking red, while, .and hlack phiin.aL;e 'if 

 the adult hirds ni.akes them verv conspieuim^ in 

 the dense green foliage of the live oaks and 

 conifers which they frefjuent. They seem to he 

 fond of water and are often found near cascades 

 and sjjring holes. They niav also be seen hopping 

 about on mossv banks and stumijs of large trees. 



WAGTAILS AND PIPITS 



Order Passcrcs; suborder Osciiics; fainilv Motacillidcr 



IHE Wagtails and the Pipits are Osciiics or song birds, with the bill slender, 

 notched, and cone-shaped; bristles at the corners of the mouth obvious but 

 only two conspicitously developed; the wing rather long and pointed; the 

 tail variable in relative length but never conspicuously shorter than the wing, 

 usually nearly as long, sometimes longer; the tip even, slightly notched, double 

 notched, rounded, or double-rounded; the tail-feathers rather narrow, usually 

 tapering terminally, but never (except sometimes the middle pair) pointed 

 at the tip; the tarsus slender, always much longer than bill, toes slender, the 

 middle one distinctly longer than the other forward toes; hind toes about 

 equal in length to outer and inner toes or slightly longer, but stouter; claws 

 slender, variable in relative length, that of the hind toe (except in one species) 



elongated and but slightly equal to or exceeding the toe in length. 



The family comprises birds of terrestrial habits, which walk or run gracefully on the 

 ground, instead of hopping, and feed tipon insects. The Wagtails are usually of black, 

 gray, and white plumage, but sometimes are partially bright yellow — always unstreaked. 

 The Pipits are of streaked plumage, with brownish or tawny tints prevailing, in which they 

 present a remarkable resemblance to the Larks, as they also do in their habits and the 

 character of their nests and eggs. The family is most developed in the eastern hemisphere, 

 to which the Wagtails are restricted (though one subspecies breeds in the Arctic zone of 

 western Alaska). America possesses only the Pipits represented by about eight species 

 and only two of these eight are found north of the Rio Grande. 



PIPIT 



Anthus rubescens ( Tims fall) 



A. O. v. Xumber ..c 



Other Names.— American Pipit: .American Titlark; 

 Prairie Titlark: Hudsonian Wagtail: Brown Lark; 

 Louisiana Lark ; Red Lark. 



General Description. — Length. 6i_, inches. Upper 

 parts, grayish-olive; under parts, jiinkish-huff with 

 streaks of dusky. 



Color. — Adults in Spring and Summer: .-//'(ir'r. 

 grayish-olive or hair-brown, the feathers of crown, 



Sec Color I'late fig 



back, and .shoulders, darker centrally, forming indis- 

 tinct streaks; wings and tail, dusky with pale grayish- 

 olive or olive-grayi.sh edgings, the middle wing-coverts 

 margined terminally with pale grayish-buffy, dull gray- 

 ish, or dull whitisli. the greater coverts also sometimes 

 margined at tips with the same; outermost tail-feathers 

 zeith outer web and shaft, e.rceft at base, and nearly 

 the terminal half of inner web, white; second tail- 



