WATER PIPIT. 167 



been captured in Bulgaria. It does not occur in the 

 north of Europe, keeping, according to Temminck, in 

 the south and east. 



•'During their autumnal migration," according to 

 Dubois, "they arrive in small flocks in the plains, 

 moist meadows, and pastures, as well as on the banks 

 of streams and ponds. They are very wild, and will 

 only fly around any intruder while hatching their 

 young. The male assiduously utters its rather simple 

 song, during which it rises into the air, singing at 

 first very slowly, and gradually increasing in intensity, 

 'tuigh, tuigh, tuigh,' and finishes when it comes down 

 with a long 'si-si-si-si-si,' having its wings extended, 

 and settling upon a shrub or stone always in an 

 oblique line: it rarely sings when perched." 



It feeds upon gnats, flies, and aquatic insects and 

 their larva?. From Badeker's "European Eggs" I take 

 the following: — "The Water Pipit builds its nest in 

 moss, or under some overhanging stone. It is made 

 of stalks, grass blades, and moss interwoven together, 

 is well rounded in shape, and lined with grass and 

 hairs. At the end of May it lays five or six eggs, 

 which are tender-shelled, having a ground-colour har- 

 monizing with the very soft and thickly-scattered spots 

 and dots which cover the cs;g. Some appear brown, 

 others grey, while others incline to a green. Many have 

 a circlet of spots and hair-streaks at the larger end. 

 One specimen has a bright grey ground, and is entirely 

 covered with olive brown spots and dark grey dots; 

 while in another the ground-colour is inclined to reddish, 

 and has a few dark grey spots or dots on it. 



The female watches clamorously, and sits constantly 

 on the eggs. The young are hatched in fourteen days, 

 and in their first plumage resemble the old birds in 



VGL. II. 2 A » 



