THE BIEDS OF HELIGOLAND 349 



for several days alive in an open cage, but never noticed it to pro- 

 gress in any other manner than by nimbly rumiing step by step. 



This Pipit is a very shy and cautious bird ; and on the open 

 bare plain of the island it is very difficult to get to within shooting 

 range of it. Once disturbed, it invariably Hies off a long distance, 

 at a good height ; under such conditions, it is quite useless to con- 

 tinue the pursuit forthwith ; since the bird, if aware of being 

 pursued, usually either departs entirely, or at least flies across 

 to Sandy Island ; this, however, as \vith many other species, has 

 reference only to solitary individuals. If several of them are to- 

 gether, or on daj^'s when there is a strong migration, they are far 

 less shy. If, on a flne day at such a time, one sits quietly 

 in the grass, avoiding every appearance of noticing the birds, and 

 allowing other less shy species to run about one undisturbed, one 

 will be astonished to see how verj' close these otherwise very 

 cautious birds will approach, and perform their various move- 

 ments quite naturally and unrestrained. Hours spent thus in the 

 confiding company of hundreds of different kinds of these charm- 

 ing creatures count among the most enjoyable in an ornithologist's 

 vocation. 



The call-note of this bird is described very differently in 

 different works : chay — degli — zirp, or ziepp — being some of the 

 sounds which it is said to resemble. According to my own 

 experience, extending over more than fifty years, during which 

 time thousands of these birds have come under ni)^ notice, this call- 

 note consists of a loud, rapid and harshly ejaculated r— r — ruiijJ, 

 sounding, in the case of young bu-ds, almost like r — r — reep ; this 

 is confirmed by the local name of this bird, which is derived from 

 its call-note. This note the bird utters only once at every rise, 

 except in some rare cases when, after being surprised, it rises 

 suddenly, repeating r — r — riip — rlipp several times in quick succes- 

 sion. As the bird flies almost alwaj's at a good height, and its 

 extremely original caU-note is audible at a great distance, it betrays 

 its presence to the shooter while still far away ; when the call-note 

 is no longer heard, one may conclude with certainty that the bird 

 has settled on the ground. 



In the manner of its flight this Pipit partly resembles the 

 Wagtails, partly the Larks. If it is flying over a considerable 

 distance at a not very great elevation, it progresses in wide and 

 shallow undulations, not however in so striking a manner as the 

 Wagtails. Its flight at considerable elevations is more like that of 

 the Larks. Ai-rived at the goal of its flight, the bird executes a 

 fluttering or shaking movement before descending, previouslj' for a 

 moment surveying the place on which it intends to alight as 



