112 



BRITISH BIRDS 



sweet and expressive repeated many times. Having ended its 

 song, it remains perched for a few moments silent, or else littering 

 notes as at the beginning, until once more it quits its perch, either 

 to repeat the flight and song, or to drop to the ground, from which 

 it shortly ascends to sing again. The manner in which the song 

 is given is thus always beautiful, and in some individuals there is a 

 wonderful sweetness in the quality of the voice. 



The nest is built near the male bird's favourite tree, and is placed 

 in a hollow in the ground, and so well concealed by the grass and 

 herbage that it is almost impossible to find it, unless by flushing the 

 incubating bird from it. It is formed of fine dry grass and fibrous 

 roots, and lined with horsehair. Four to six eggs are laid, of a dull 

 white ground-colour, spotted with dull brown, grey, and purple, 

 sometimes with blotches and hair-like marks among the spots. Tl ie 

 eggs of this species vary a great deal. 



Rock-Pipit. 



Anthus obscurus. 



Hind claw equal 

 to the toe in length, 

 much curved. Upper 

 parts greenish 



brown, the centre of 

 each feather darker 

 brown ; a whitish 

 streak over the eye ; 

 under parts dull 

 white, spotted and 

 streaked with dark 

 brown. Length, six 

 and a quarter inches. 



The rock -pipit is 

 the only songster 

 FIG. 41. ROCK-PIPIT. natural size. that inhabits the 



seashore, and this is 



the one distinction of this small dull-coloured bird. It is true 

 that the starling sometimes nests, like the jackdaw, in cliffs, and 

 that sparrows, wagtails, and a few other species, are occasionally 



