46 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



ten days. Their habits are solitary and retiring, the birds 

 never appearing in flocks, like many others of the same 

 order. Even when several are in the same field they keep 

 quite apart from one another, and generally at a tolerable 

 distance. 



The Tree Pipit, as may be gathered from its name, is 

 partial to foliage, and may be found in almost any of our 

 southern counties, where copses, plantations, and wooded 

 districts are plentiful. A pond or stream is also a great 

 attraction to this sprightly little bird, as it is partial to a 

 bath, but does not dust itself so frequently as the Skylark. 



Insects and their Iarva3, particularly flies and gnats, 

 worms, and caterpillars are the principal items in its diet, 

 and its movements when in search of food are lively and 

 graceful in the extreme. 



The song is not very varied, consisting of what Morris 

 describes as a " monosyllabic effusion/'' closely resembling 

 the word " tsee, tsee, tsee," uttered an indefinite number of 

 times. The note, however, is sweet and pleasing, and the 

 bird presents a most interesting appearance whilst engaged 

 in singing. Starting from the bare branch of some tree, it 

 makes a short ascent into the air, hovers with widely-spread 

 wing and tail while it pours forth its happy little note, and 

 then descends again with open wings to its starting-point, 

 to renew the flight and song after a short pause ; occasion- 

 ally this action is repeated many times in succession. 



In seeking a home the Tree Pipit generally selects a tuft 

 of grass, or some low herbage, under which it builds its nest, 

 and most commonly prefers the additional shelter of a planta- 

 tion or copse. It finds various places for nesting, but the nest 

 is always on the ground. The nest is made of dried grass, 

 thin roots, and the stalks of coarse moss, with a few hairs 



