226 BRITISH BIRDS. 



situation to that often chosen by the Robin. Sometimes it is placed in a 

 meadow amongst the grass, at others in a hollow under a stone, and very 

 often under the shelter of a reed -tussock in a little swampy patch of 

 ground. Dixon has known this bird build its nest amongst a tuft of reeds 

 surrounded by water, where the foundation of the nest was saturated with 

 moisture. The nest is made of moss and dry grass, and lined with finer 

 grass, hairs, and sometimes a few rootlets ; it is rather loosely put 

 together, but always carefully finished inside, and varies considerably in 

 size and form, according to the peculiarities of the site. The eggs of the 

 Meadow-Pipit are from four to six in number, and are pale bluish or 

 brownish white in ground-colour, profusely mottled and speckled with 

 spots of brown, amongst which the paler underlying markings can usually 

 be detected. The variations are not very important, and the eggs of each 

 clutch are generally alike. When the eggs are very thickly spotted, 

 many of the spots become confluent and there is little variation in colour ; 

 but when the spots are fewer the difference in the ground-colour makes 

 an important difference in the appearance of the egg. On many eggs fine 

 hair-like streaks occur, principally on the large end. They vary in length 

 from '85 to '75 inch, and in breadth from '62 to - 55 inch. The eggs of 

 the Meadow-Pipit very closely resemble those of the Water-Pipit and many 

 varieties of the Rock-Pipit; but the eggs of both are usually a more olive- 

 brown, and those of the latter species are larger and rounder. The 

 Meadow-Pipit is said occasionally to rear two broods in the season. The 

 male is often very bold when the nest is approached, and flutters in the 

 air, uttering his alarm-notes in anxious tones. The female sits very closely, 

 and often allows herself to be almost trodden upon ere she quits her eggs or 

 helpless young. Sometimes, when she is disturbed, she feigns lameness, 

 and endeavours to lure the intruder away by fluttering helplessly along the 

 ground as if wounded. The Cuckoo often selects the nest of this bird for 

 its nursery ; in fact in many localities there are no other suitable nests at 

 hand, as, for instance, on the Grouse-moors and mountain-tops, in both 

 of which situations the Cuckoo is a common bird. The Meadow-Pipit 

 may be seen tending her young for some time after they have left the nest, 

 and, in some cases, the family-party keep together during the winter. 



Dixon writes : " The summer passes quickly away, and the hill-sides don 

 their purple tints, an unfailing sign of autumn. The Lapwings and Curlews 

 leave the bleak uplands as the season wanes, and descend to the coasts for 

 the winter; the Meadow-Pipits also retire to the lowlands, appearing on 

 the pastures in September and October. Here they go about solitary or 

 in little parties. As you stroll over the turnip-fields and grass-lands you 

 will often see them flying up before you, uttering their feeble and com- 

 plaining notes of peep, peep, peep, to alight a little distance away, and again 

 tarry till almost trodden upon ere they take wing, their sober garb harmon- 



