Il6 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



usually on the ground amongst coarse herbage. The 

 eggs vary in colour immensely, from dark mottled-brown 

 to a bright rosy-red. 



MEADOW PIPIT, or Titlark B. Very similar in 



A . pratensis. appearance to the last, but smaller, 



duller in colour, and with a much 



longer hind claw. Common in Summer, especially on 



high ground. A few only winter with us. The Cuckoo 



often chooses the nest of the Meadow Pipit to deposit 



its egg in, and the eggs of both are rather alike, but that 



of the Cuckoo is the larger and generally has, somewhere 



on its surface, one or two black lines or markings. 



Richard's Pipit. This rare bird is the largest of the genus, 

 A. Richardi. and is distinguished by its long limbs 



and very long hind claw. One was 

 killed near Shrewsbury, in October, 1866. 



Rock Pipit. This is properly a shore bird, but an 

 A. obscurus. immature specimen was killed at 



Berwick, November 23rd, 1877. 



Golden Oriole. The brilliant plumage of this splendid 



Oriolus galbula. bird renders it so conspicuous that it 



can scarcely escape the notice of the 



least observant, and so it is shot ! It has occurred 



several times in Shropshire: Two at Harnage in 1866; 



One at Neen Savage in May, 1886, and several other 



doubtful records. 



Great Grey Shrike. A rare Winter visitor, recorded eleven 



Lanius cxcubitor. times in the County ; at Shrewsbury, 



Whitchurch, Harton, Acton Reynald, 



Hawkstone, Ludlow, Weston (Shifnal), Ellesmere, and 





