230 THE PIPITS, OR TITLARKS. 



summer visitant, but is more permanently stationed in the other parts of the north, and mostly 

 breeds in warm, well-watered localities. The bird is a special lover of water, and seldom 

 seems to fly to any great distance from the brook or river in which it finds its food. 



Like the pied Wagtail, it feeds largely on aquatic insects and larva?, and is also known to 

 eat small water mollusks, not troubling itself to separate the soft body from the hard and 

 sharp-ed.u'ed shell. 



The Yellow Wagtail, or Ray's Wagtail, as it is sometimes termed, is veiy common in 

 England, and is very partial to pasture lands, where it revels among the insects that are 

 roused by the tread of cattle. 



It is not so partial to water as the pied species, and may often be met with upon the driest 

 lands, far from any stream, busily employed in catching the beetles, flies, and other sun-loving 

 insects. Even upon roads it may frequently lie observed tripping about with great celerity, 

 and ever and anon picking up an insect, and celebrating its success by a triumphant wag of 

 the tail. The name of Yellow Wagtail has been given to it on account of the light yellow hue 

 which tinges the head and the entire under surface of the body. As, however, the preceding 

 species also possesses a, considerable amount of yellow in its coloring, the name of Ray's Wag- 

 tail has been given to this bird in honor of the illustrious naturalist. It is a gregarious bird, 

 beinn- generally seen in little flocks or troops. 



Tlie coloring is as follows : The top of the head, back of the neck, and the whole of the 

 back are olive, brighter upon the head and darker upon the back. The quill-feathers of the 

 wings are dark brown, tipped with yellowish-white, with the exception of the two exterior 

 feathers of the tail, which are white, with a line of black running down the inner web ; all the 

 tail is brownish-black, like the wings. The chin, throat, the whole of the under surface of 

 the body, together with a well-defined stripe over the eye and ear, are bright yellow. In 

 length the bird does not reach quite seven inches. 



Australia is the liabitat of the prettily-marked bird which is known to zoologists by the 

 very long name of White-faced Ephthianura. 



It is tolerably common in several parts of that strange country, and is found in little 

 flocks, as is the case with the Wagtails. Of this bird and its habits, Mr. Gould speaks as 

 follows: "As Hie structure of its toes and lengthened tertiaries would lead us to expect, its 

 natural province is the ground, to which it habitually resorts, and decidedly evinces a prefer- 

 ence to spots of a sterile and barren character. The male, like many of the saxicoline birds, 

 frequently perches either on the summit of a stone, or on the extremity of a dead and leafless 

 branch. It is rather shy in disposition, and when disturbed flies off with considerable rapidity 

 to a distance of two or three hundred yards before it alights attain. I observed it in small 

 companies on the plains near Adelaide, over the hard clayey surface of which it tripped with 

 amazing quickness, with a motion that can neither be described as a hop 01 a run, but some- 

 thing between the two, with a bobbing action of the tail." 



Only the male bird is gifted with the bright contrast of the white throat and banded chest, 

 the female being quite a sombre-pluniaged bird. It is always a sprightly and active bird, and 

 is quick of wing as well as of foot. 



THE PIPITS, OR TITLARKS. 



The Pipits, or Titlakks, as they are sometimes called, form a well-marked group, which 

 possesses the long hind toe of the hawk, together with very similar plumage, and also bears 

 the long tail which is found in the wagtails. Several species of the Pipit inhabit Europe, two 

 examples of which will be figured. 



The first is the common Meadow PiriT, or Meadow Titlixo, a bird which may be seen 

 throughout the year upon moors, waste lands, and marshy ground, changing its locality 

 according to the season of year. It is a pretty though rather sombre little bird, and is quick 



