154 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTES ON THE BIRD FAUNA OF THE BOX HILL 

 DISTRICT — Continued. 



By Robert Hall. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 11 th January, 1898.) 



There are always two larks within our cleared lands — the one 

 common throughout the year, the other nomadic ; at all events. 

 it is away singing elsewhere a part of its time. The first I refer 

 to is the Pipit, or Ground Lark, the other the Bush Lark. 

 I fancy I have recognized a Cincloramphus in the direction of 

 Spring Vale, but, not having secured its skin, leave it out for the 

 present. 



Our Ground Lark, or Meadow Pipit, Anthus Australia, V. & H. 

 (W.)*, scarcely needs a mention, as it has spoken for itself, I 

 may safely venture to say, to each one of you. The larks appear 

 to differ from the pipits in the bills of the latter being more 

 slender, and notched, so that our familiar Ground Lark should 

 always be honoured with its more appropriate title of Pipit. The 

 nest is invariably placed upon the ground, and the birds prefer 

 the same place to the air. For five minutes together you may 

 keep the slim-footed runner moving in and out, seldom essaying 

 flight for more than a few seconds, until, finding you are intent 

 upon annoying it, away it flaps with the wind for ioo yards or 

 more. If it wishes to enter an adjacent field, and pass houses en 

 route, it will rise quickly into the air, fly high, and fall rapidly 

 into the new pasture, favoured with the wind if present. If a 

 quarrel arises between the smallest number that can make a 

 quarrel, a long, rapid, and zig-zag flight follows, little in accord 

 with the usual short, unventuresome flutter. 



The golden rule of the Pipit is to escape from danger by rapid, 

 even running along the ground, not divulging its presence by 

 any motion of flight. When trouble has subsided, and without 

 any loss of time, an attack is made upon the nearest insect that 

 is weighty enough to be of valuable consideration. 



The congregations of this bird, in the season when most birds 

 agree to associate in flocks, is seldom more than ten to twelve in 

 a flock upon the ground. Beyond this period the pairs, by them- 

 selves or with their young, are seen by daylight almost in any 

 green or brown field, or heard at nightfall when other birds are 

 making straight for home by all the rural short-cuts known to 

 them. A direct flight of, say, 25 yards, will occupy about five 

 seconds, while a run in a straight line of 15 yards will take about 

 the same time. Wherever a dry channel offers itself the bird 

 will use it for escape by running ; and in this way I noticed, some 

 time ago, a young White-fronted Ephthianura trying to evade 

 observation and make its escape. By way of comparison, both 



