BIRDS 81 



islands, in County Kerry, and on the coast of Mayo. It is, however, generally 

 distributed during the winter on most of our coasts. Its food consists of fish- 

 fry, small crustaceans, cuttle-fish, and sorrel. 



Pipit, Meadow (often called the TITLARK). Is a resident with us all the 

 year round ; slightly smaller than the Tree Pipit (which see), and not so 

 tawny, an olive shade pervading its "colour scheme." In the autumn its 

 plumage is still further tinged with buff. The hind-claw is longer than the toe. 

 Its song is not so rich as the Tree Pipit's, but is uttered in much the same way, 

 except that, instead of starting from a tree-top, the bird starts from the ground 

 or a low bush, and sings as it descends from a height of fifty feet or so. It is 

 not found so much on cultivated land, but prefers marsh pasture and moor- 

 land, where it builds a nest on the ground or in a bank, in the shade of a 

 tussock or under a bush, using the same materials as the Tree Pipit. The 

 eggs smaller than the Tree Pipit's are so covered with dark mottles that 

 it is hard to discover the ground colour in reality, " grey- white, mottled 

 with brown " but they are equally described as " red-brown, mottled with 

 darker brown." The nest is frequently used by the Cuckoo as the depository 

 for its egg. Both these pipits feed upon insects and larvae, as well as on seeds. 

 The song has been syllabled thus : " Vitge, vitge, vitge, vitge, vitge vitge- 

 vitgevitgevitge, zickzickzickzickzickzick, yeckyeckyeckyeckyeck, terrrrr " 

 (Naumann). 



Pipit, Rock. Is to be found on our rocky coasts, where it is a resident. It 

 has the same charming song-flight as its relatives, but the song is a weaker, 

 more tinkling strain. The call-note is " Weet-weet." The bird is distinguished 

 by the complete absence of white on the tail feathers, its place being taken 

 by grey. The upper parts are olive-brown in autumn with a distinct greenish 

 tinge ; the under parts whitish with brown striations, becoming yellowish 

 after the summer. The nest is cunningly hidden in a crevice or under stones, 

 sometimes on a cliff ledge, occasionally in a rabbit's burrow ; I have found 

 it in the middle of a bed of sea campions. It is made of dry grass, some- 

 times seaweed, lined with finer grass and hair. The eggs are greyish brown, 

 speckled with darker shades ; four to five in number ; larger than the Meadow 

 Pipit's. 



Pipit, Tree. This bird is a summer visitor, rare in the North of Scotland 

 and entirely absent from Ireland ; noted chiefly for its song and manner of 

 singing, which is extremely characteristic. It sings on the topmost bough 

 of a tree, or often may be seen on a telegraph wire, from which it frequently 

 mounts into the air, and, rising high, descends with outspread wings and 

 tail to its starting point, singing in a crescendo of rich notes as it descends ; 

 the last notes consisting of " Twee-twee-twee " a sort of " coda " as it drops 

 to its perch. It is often confused with the Meadow Pipit, but this characteristic 

 song, its larger size, richer tawny colour, and its wagtail carriage on the ground 

 suffice to distinguish it at a distance. In detail., note that the hind-claw is not 

 so long as the toe itself. In colour the bird is tawny-brown above, with dark 



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