WAGTAILS AND PIPITS. 375 



demanding at least a page in our journals. In Cuba most of our 

 Wood Warblers are known simply as '^ Mar iposas"" — butterflies; but 

 the Redstart's bright plumage has won for him the name '• Candelita " 

 — the little torch that flashes in the gloomy depths of tropical forests. 

 Ching, cJiing, chee ; ser-ivee, swee, swee-e-e he sings, and with wings 

 and tail outspread whirls about, dancing from limb to limb, darting 

 upward, floating downward, blown hither and thither like a leaf in the 

 breeze. But the gnats dancing in the sunlight and the caterpillars 

 feeding in the shade of the leaves know to their sorrow that his erratic 

 course is guided by a purpose. 



Family Motacillid^. Wagtails and Pipits. * 



Only three of the sixty odd species in this family inhabit North 

 America, and but one is found in the Eastern States. They are all 

 terrestrial birds, and have been named from their habit of wagging 

 their tails. 



697. Anthus pensilvanicus (Lath.). American Pipit: Titlark. 

 (See Fig. 54.) Ad. — Upper parts dark brownish gray ; wings and tail fuscous ; 

 wing-coverts tipped with whitish or buify ; end half of outer tail-feather 

 white, next one tipped with white ; a white or bulfy line over the eye; under 

 parts white or buffy, streaked with fuscous, except on the throat- and middle 

 of the belly ; hind toe-nail the longest, as long as or longer than its toe. L., 

 6-38; W., 3-50; T., 2-6y; B., -47. 



Range. — "North America at large, breeding in the liigher parts of tlie 

 Rocky Mountains and subarctic districts, and wintering in tlie Gulf States, 

 Mexico, and Central America" (A. O. U.). 



Washington, W. V., sometimes abundant, Oct. 15 to Apl. 25. Sing Sing, 

 common T. V., March 26 to (?) ; Sept. 24 to Nov. 16. Cambridge, T. V., 

 abundant Sept. 20 to Nov. 10; less common Apl. 10 to May 20. 



Nest.^ of grasses, on the ground. Eggs., four to six, bluish white or grayish 

 white, thickly and evenly speckled witfi cinnamon- or vinaceous-brown, 

 •78 X -57. 



Large, open tracts in the vicinity of the coast are tho localities in 

 which Titlarks are most common, but they are also found in numbers 

 in old fields, meadows, and pastures inland. A recently burned or 

 newly plowed field is a good place in which to look for them. Once 

 seen, there is little difficulty in identifying these graceful walkers, as 

 they run on before you, or with constantly wagging tail await your 

 approach. The individuals of a flock are generally scattered over a 

 varying space while feeding, but when flushed they rise together and, 

 with a soft dee-dee, dee-dee, mount high in the air as though bound 

 for parts unknown, but often, after hovering aboA^e you for several 



