THE TREE PIPIT. 



my watch last spring, and found that on 

 an average he sang five times per minute, 

 and three times out of tlie five the mvisic 

 was dehvered upon his favourite perch. 

 The perching song only lasted two or 

 three seconds, as a rule, whereas the fly- 

 ing one took from five to seven seconds 

 — according to the height from which 

 the bird started — to get through. 



The song 

 of this spe- 

 cies has been 

 likened to 

 that of the 

 [Canary, and 

 in some re- 

 s p e c t s it 

 does un- 

 doubtedly 

 resemble it. 

 It com- 

 mences with the lark-like notes already 

 mentioned, and ends with a ringing 

 tsee, tsee, tsce, or mhce, wliee, wliee. 



Tree Pipits vary greatly in the quality 

 of their music. One of the very finest 

 singers I ever heard was on a hillside 

 near to Builth Wells, in Wales. The call 

 note is a trit, trit, or fsip, t'sip. 



It has been said that the male birds of 



FEMALE TREE PIPIT ABOUT 

 TO ENTER NEST. 



51 



