THE TREE PIPIT. 245 



fanciers prize its song when in captivity, and call 

 it the pipit-lark. 



Though the meadow-pipit resides all the year 

 in our land, the Tree Pipit* (Anthus arhoreus) only 

 finds here its summer home, coming to us in 

 April, and quitting us late in September; the 

 male birds preceding the female, and as soon as 

 they an-ive, doing their best to contribute to the 

 melody of spring. This is the finest singer of the 

 whole genus, beginning its song with a little 

 low twitter, which rises by degrees, and is suc- 

 ceeded by a sweet warble. The song is some- 

 times sung by the bird on a tree, from " the 

 topmost twig which looks up at the sky ; " but 

 more frequently it is uttered in the air, and the 

 bird, when it ceases, comes sailing down slowly to 

 the bough whence it took its flight. 



The haunt of the tree pipit is the border of the 

 woodland, or the plantation or orchard, or the 

 hedgerow which skirts the meadow or green lane, 

 and although not usually numerous, yet it is very 



* The Tree Pipit is six inches and a half in length. The 

 plumage closely resembles that of the meadow pipit, but the 

 spots on the breast are fewer, and the white of the outmost tail- 

 feather is less extensive and less pure ; the hind claw is shorter 

 than the toe. 



