ANTHID^. 27 



a summer visitor. On this account I have included 

 it in the list of residents. 



Family — Anthid^. 



Meadow Pipit {AntJms pratensis). Local names, 

 Tit-lark, Pipit-lark. One of the commonest of our 

 resident birds, in winter congregating in small flocks 

 and frequenting for the most part the banks of the 

 rivers and the sides of small pools of water. I have 

 found several nests of this bird in the long grass 

 which grows by the side of the railway of the London 

 and South Western Company, between Datchet and 

 Windsor. 



Upon one occasion, in the summer of 1867, I came 

 unexpectedly upon a Meadow Pipit's nest, containing 

 five eggs, which I appropriated, together with the 

 nest itself. Upon revisiting the spot (which I had 

 marked carefully) about a fortnight afterwards, I 

 v/as surprised to see another nest and five more eggs 

 in exactly the same position as the former, and I 

 have no doubt that it was built by the same pair 

 of industrious little birds. This time I left the eggs 

 undisturbed, and no doubt they were duly hatched. 



Tribe — Conirostres. Family — Alaudid^. 



Skylark {Alaiida arvcnsis). One of the most 

 numerous of our residents, being dispersed every- 

 where throughout both counties. This bird begins 



