THE PIPITS. I05 



habits are quite different. Its colours are also much brighter 

 and purer in tint than the latter bird, its song is much superior, 

 and it frequents, by preference, the woodland country. It 

 affects the outside of woods and plantations, when it may be 

 seen mounting into the air, and uttering its pretty and melo- 

 dious song. The birds which we kept in our aviary during 

 the winter were very tame, and kept themselves scrupulously 

 neat and clean, having a Thrush-like appearance. They were 

 always fond of bathing, and had to be carefully looked after 

 to prevent their taking a chill in severe weather. They never 

 uttered more than a whispered call-note, " chick," but when 

 allowed to walk about the room, they took little flights from 

 the ground, mounting and falling in a most graceful manner, 

 and roosting on the highest point of the curtains or on a 

 picture-frame. Having demonstrated to us the fact that both 

 male and female moulted in the spring, they were allowed to 

 fly away, and although they were in captivity the tamest of birds, 

 they bolted straight away as soon as their cage was opened, 

 and never even visited the garden for food. 



The food of the Tree-Pipit consists almost entirely of in- 

 sects, which it seeks for mostly on the ground, often frequent- 

 ing pasture land, and running about among the cattle in 

 pursuit of flies, after the manner of the Wagtails. Mr. Dixon 

 also mentions that it devours corn when the seeds are in a 

 soft and milky state. 



Nest. — Placed on the ground, often on a bank by the side of 

 a wood ; but sometimes in a corn-field at some distance from 

 its favourite haunts. It is composed of dried grasses, with 

 some moss and rootlets, being lined with finer grass and a 

 little horse-hair. 



Eggs. — Four to seven in number, and extremely variable in 

 tone of colour and markings. The series in the British 

 Museum varies between a purplish- or pinkish-red, and stone- 

 grey ground-colour. Between these two extremes occurs 

 every shade of variation in tint, and the markings consist either 

 of minute dots, which cover the surface of the egg so as to 

 hide the ground-colour, or constitute bold spots and blotches, 

 sometimes collecting in a ring, or patch, at the larger end 

 of the egg. There are always two kinds of these boldly- 



