CHA TS — B UNTING — PIPITS 



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with a run on alighting. Now and then it soars and sings, but never for long, and 

 soon comes softly down, or with closed wings falls like a stone. At night it sleeps 

 behind a clod or in the furrows, and shelters in similar places from birds-of-prey. 

 Its song is like that of the lark, but neither so rich nor so sweet. The tawny pijjit 

 arrives in Europe in the middle of April, breeds towards the end of May, and 

 leaves about the end of August, In south-west Germany and Switzerland it is 

 rare and always found in pairs ; in Germany it is nowhere very common, and in 

 Great Britain is known only as an occasional autumnal visitor. It ranges over the 

 temperate countries of Europe up to central Sweden, and is also found in central 

 Asia, north-western India, and in Africa down to Senegal. It is 7 inches long; 

 the upper-pai'ts are sandy grey with indistinct dark spots, the lower-parts being 



TAWNY PIPIT. 



Meadow Pipit 



whitish, and the outer tail-feathers nearly all white ; the flanks are without streaks, 

 and the wing-coverts are edged with sandy buff, as are the feathers of the tail. 

 The hind claw, which is slightly curved, is never shorter than the hind toe. 



The meadow pipit (A -pratensis) is a restless, gregarious bird. 

 which seldom perches on a tree, owing to its hind toe being too 

 short to clasp the twigs and the straight hind claw being so inconveniently long. 

 It lives in meadows and marshes, on moors, near water, in large pastures with 

 few trees and bushes, and on the seashore, preferring everywhere open ground 

 with short grass. Feeding on insects, worms, and snails, it rarely eats grain or 

 other seeds. When singing its melodious song of many repetitions, the meadow 

 pipit flutters up into the air, remaining there for a little time, and then descending 

 to finish on the ground. The autumn migration begins in the middle of September, 

 is at its height in October, and lasts through November. The birds return in the 



