36 



British Birds. 



THE 

 MEADOW-PIPIT, 

 {Antlnis prnttnsls.\ 



from purplish i>r pinkish-red to oHve-grey, with sometimes tiny dots and some- 

 times bolder spots and blotches of reddish brown and purplish-grey. 



The present species is rather a smaller bird than the Tree-Pipit, 

 is not so bright in colour, and may always be told by its straight 

 hind-claw, which exceeds the length, of the hind toe itself. It is 

 found everywhere throughout Great Britain, and is resident with 

 us, though a considerable number migrate. There is some difference in size observable 

 among our British Meadow- Pipits, and the ones from the south coast seem to constitute 

 a smaller race than those from more upland localities. It must also be noted that in 

 Pipits, as in Larks, the females are always smaller than the males. The range of the 

 Meadow-Pipit extends over the greater part of Europe and reaches east as far as the 

 Valley of the Ob. Its winter home is in the Mediterranean countries and Northern Africa. 

 It is generally a ground-lo\-ing bird, but in the mountains of Norway, at 3,500 feet, 

 where it is exceedingly common, I have found it more like a Tree-Pipit in habits, 

 perching on the birch trees, and soaring high into the air like a Sky-Lark, 

 singing the while very sweetly. I shot one or two birds after thev had perched on 

 the trees to make sure that the}' were not Tree-Pipits. Its food consists almost 

 entirelv of insects, which it seeks on the ground. The nest is always built on the 

 latter, and is generally sheltered i it is a neat little cup of grass with a little moss 

 and lined with fine grass or hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are 

 somewhat browner and more uniform in appearance than those of the Tree- Pipit, 

 being brown, more or less clouded with minute spots and markings of brown and 

 purplish-grey. 



The Red-throated Pipit {Anthus ceyvinus). This is a kind of Meadow-Pipit, 

 very similar to Autliiis prateiisis, and only distinguishable in the winter plumage by the 

 streaks on the rump, this part of the back beinguniform in the Meadow-Pipit. Three un- 

 doubted specimens of the Red- 

 throated Pipit have been taken 

 within the British Islands, so that 

 the species may be considered 

 to be an occasional visitant, 

 but it may occur more often than 

 is suspected, as its plumage in 

 winter is so very similar to that 

 of Antlnis pratemis. In the 

 summer dress, of course, the 

 uniform vinous red throat and 

 breast easily distinguish the 

 species. In the female the red 

 colour is confined to the throat, 

 and does notextend to thechest. 



Red-throated Pipit. 



Richard's Pipit. 



