146 IN PAIRING TIME 



by which to commend himself. But the Meadow- 

 pipit, like most birds of a more or less dull and 

 ordinary exterior, has had to evolve something 

 strange or beautiful from within, and every spring it 

 has to be refurbished and gradually brought to 

 perfection. He is an explosive morsel in the early 

 days of February. Until then he was content to flit 

 about in low flight with a peeping note ; but as 

 February opens, he starts up ever and anon with 

 sudden outcry, and goes careering round on high 

 with a jerky, dancing flight, tweeting vociferously as 

 he flies. It is mid- March, however, before he begins 

 thoroughly to unlock himself, and makes his first 

 attempt to sing. During the third week of March the 

 infection spreads and many short songs are heard ; but 

 the singers are for the most part tuning up upon the 

 ground, not yet abandoning themselves in their dis- 

 tinctive song-flight. But ere March closes many of the 

 birds have fully recovered their powers, and from the 

 grassy embankments of the river and the meadows 

 through which it flows, all day long they rise with 

 metallic, vibrant notes. Having reached the culmin- 

 ating point of song and flight alike, effort ceases, and 

 the luxury of descent begins. Abandoning itself to 

 the pull of gravitation, all but counteracted by the 

 outspread wings and extended tail, the bird sinks, 

 breasting the air, with a langourous, gliding motion. 

 There are two quite different songs used during 

 descent. At one time it is but a repetition of the 

 note used in ascending, but much accelerated. At 

 other times the bird utters as it falls a delicious 

 trilling, subdued, intimate to the point of extinction ; 

 for, midway in the descent, the song, as if cloyed 



