THE PASSERINE BIRDS 125 



worn by the male only during the breeding-season, though the 

 female sometimes develops a few black feathers in this region. 

 White replaces the black in the winter dress. It is a lover of 

 mountain streams rather than of those which run through flat 

 country, and is an insect-feeder. A perfect male may attain a length 

 of 7^ inches in length. 



The White Wagtail in its summer dress may readily be dis- 

 tinguished from its far more common relative the Pied Wagtail 

 by the greater amount of white on the side of the neck, and in that 

 the upper parts are of a beautiful pearl -grey instead of black. The 

 White Wagtail is not so common as the Pied, which in winter dress 

 it resembles rather closely. The Yellow Wagtail, by the way, is 

 an extremely common bird in parts of England and Ireland, and is 

 by no means uncommon in Scotland and Wales. It is a species 

 which revels in wet meadows, and finds the company of cattle 

 exceedingly attractive, chiefly for the sake of the flies which con- 

 gregate about them. 



Of the Pipits, we may remark that while seven species are reckoned 

 as British birds, only three are commonly to be met with. In some 

 respects the Pipits recall the Larks, but they are, nevertheless, not 

 very closely related thereto. 



The Pipit which is chosen for illustration here is the Tree-pipit 

 (Plate XXV. fig. 4). Though fairly distributed throughout the 

 British Islands during the summer months, this bird is yet not one 

 that attracts much attention, though with bird-lovers it is always in 

 good favour, and this on account of its neat appearance and pleasing, 

 though limited, little song. The Meadow-pipit, or Tit-lark, is the 

 Pipit which is most commonly met with in Great Britain. Smallest 

 of the Pipits, it may further be distinguished by the longer and more 

 curved hind-toe. 



FAMILY ALAUDID/E {The Larks) 



There is a very general notion among those who do not pretend 

 to expert knowledge in the matter of the classification of birds, that 

 the Larks are related to the Pipits and Wagtails. Whether this 

 belief is well founded remains to be discovered At the same time 



