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ALPJXE EUROPE 



a bush. The water-pipit resembles its cousin of the meadows in its song and 

 habits, although it wades in shallow water with as much assurance as a wagtail, 

 jerking its tail in the same characteristic fashion. Its food consists chiefly of 



insects, worms, and molluscs, especially 

 during the spring migration from March 

 to May. In September it migrates to 

 north Africa and southern Asia, although 

 some individuals never cross the Medi- 

 terranean. The total length of this bird 

 is about 6-J- inches. A peculiarity of the 

 species is the great curvature of the 

 claw of the hind-toe, which is also longer 

 than the toe itself. In summer the 

 throat and breast are reddish, and the 

 lower parts unspotted; in 

 winter the colour below 

 is yellowish white, while 

 the throat and breast are 

 spotted with brown. The 

 upper part of the body is 

 gnyish or olive brown 

 with indistinct 

 blackish grey 

 spots, without 

 the yellowish 

 green tints dis- 

 t i n g u i s h i n g 

 other pipits. 

 There is a white 

 eye-stripe, and 

 the ear-coverts are greyish 

 brown ; while the wing- 

 coverts have pale edges, and 

 the tail-feathers are tipped 

 with white, the light part of 

 the outer pair being white, 

 instead of brown as in the 

 rock-pipit. 



The snow- 

 Finches. . 



WALL CREEPER. tlllCll {jlOntl- 



fringilla nivalis) is an in- 

 habitant of all the higher mountains of Europe and Asia between the tree-limit and 

 snow-line, except in winter when it moves towards the plains. This mountain- 

 bird, which never perches on trees, places its nest among crevices in rocks on which 

 the snow does not lie, but at the Hospice of St. Bernard under projecting roofs or 

 similar shelter. The nest, which is compactly built of grass and other materials; 



