192 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



of twenty to sixty or seventy feet, 

 according to the weather and the season, 

 he glides down in a half circle on out- 



THEE PIPIT COVKKINO CHICKS. 



stretched wings with his tail spread and 

 legs dangling whilst he finishes his 

 ringing ditty. Sometimes the song is 

 delivered from the bird's favourite perch, 



when it sounds somewhat suggestive of 

 the vocal accomplishments of a canary. 



The nest, which is composed of dead 

 grass and rootlets lined with fine dry 

 grass or hair, is placed on the ground 

 under an overhanging tuft. 



From four to six eggs are laid of a 

 greyish white ground colour, faintly 

 tinged with purplish brown or purple 

 red. Sometimes the ground colour is 

 yellowish white and the markings rich 

 reddish brown, but, as I have already 

 stated, they are subject to considerable 

 variation. 



The male helps the female in the work 

 of feeding the chicks and keeping the 

 nest clean. This species is very faithful 

 to a favourite old haunt, but will occa- 

 sionally quite desert one for a season 

 or two without any apparent reason. 



The Tree Pipit is migratory, arriving 

 in April and departing again in Sep- 

 tember and October, whereas numbers 

 of Meadow Pipits stay through the 

 winter in the British Islands. 



