THE MEADOW PIPIT. 125 



difficulty wears off, and we are enabled to define 

 with sufficient accuracy the limits of each species 

 and the variations of plumage within those limits. 



Were I to confine my remarks in the pre- 

 sent instance to those Pipits only which are 

 regular summer migrants to this country, I 

 should not have to mention more than two 

 species. It may be well, however, to take a 

 glance at all those which have a claim to be 

 included in the British list, distinguishing them 

 under the heads of " Residents," " Summer 

 Migrants," and " Occasional Visitants." 



Two species only are resident with us 

 throughout the year the well-known Meadow 

 Pipit or Titlark (Anthus pratensis), and the 

 larger Rock Pipit (Anthus obscurus). Both 

 these, however, are to a certain extent migra- 

 tory at the approach of winter, assembling in 

 small flocks, and moving from place to place in 

 search of food. The Tree Pipit (Anthus arbo- 

 reus) visits us regularly in April, and remains in 

 this country until September ; and there can be 

 little doubt, from recent observations of natu- 



