14 The Wilson Bulletin.— No. 4?. 



hardy than its cousins it is not till in the latter part of 

 April that it comes to Germany from the hot tropics. Where 

 the ground is low and swampy, where the cattle love to 

 dwell, not an acre of ground can be found that does not 

 harbor at least one or two pairs of Yellow Wagtails. More 

 like the White Wagtail in its ways, it is a poorer songster, 

 equally agile in running and quicker in flight. With vibrat- 

 ing wings it often hovers over a certain place, finally drops 

 down into the drooping grass, runs about in it with an 

 astounding dexterity, never loosing an opportunity to gulp 

 an unfortunate gnat or spider. Gregarious at all times, it is 

 also extremely quarrelsome and a perfect rowdy. It raises 

 but one brood in a season. The nest, like that of all birds that 

 build on the ground, is difficult to find, perfectly character- 

 istic and contains four to six eggs, greatly varying in color. 

 Both eggs and young are carefully watched by the anxious 

 parents. The young quickly learn how to hide in the dense 

 grass and are soon as gay and restless as their parents, till 

 on some frosty September morning, when the first autumn 

 winds moan over the stubble fields and turnip patches, the 

 whole army wings its way swiftly to the sunshine and ver- 

 dure of Africa. 



Of the four species of Pipits, the " Water Pipit" [Anl/ius 

 aqiiaticits), the one similar to our American Pipit, is rare in 

 Germany, and though nesting in the mountains of Silesia, 

 where I stayed mostly, is the only one I never met with. 

 The Meadow Pipit {Ant/nts prateiisis) and the Tree Pipit 

 {^Anthus arborcus) are very much alike in coloration, both 

 olive brown above spotted with darker markings, beneath light 

 ochraceous with blackish brown spots. But the hind claw of 

 the Tree Pipit is short, crescent shaped, while the Meadow 

 Pipit has a long but little curved claw. The Fallow Pipit 

 {Anthus cavipestris) has a far more brownish-gray appear- 

 ance and is easily recognized at a distance. In size all three 

 are very much alike, but differ in habits. How distinctly 

 I recollect the day when I saw the Meadow Pipit the first 

 time. The Curate of the Museum at Niesky and I had reach- 



