15G 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



gant manner of the bird while uttering it. 

 From some favourite branch, generally the 

 uppermost of a tree or bush, the bird as- 

 cends on quivering wings, uttering its " chee, 

 chee, chee," until a considerable elevation 

 is attained, and then the bird opens its 

 wings and sailing down in a graceful curve, 

 quickening its note as it descends, settling 

 at last, in most cases, on the very branch 

 from which it set out, but sometimes upon 

 the ground. 



Flight. — The flight described above is 

 very characteristic of this species. 



Migration. --This is the only species 

 of the genus which leaves this country. It 

 generally appears in Yorkshire about April 

 7th, earlier in the south and later further 

 north, departing again in September. 



Food — Insects form the chief of the 

 food of the Tree Pipit, but it will also eat 

 seeds of small plants. 



In Confinement the Pipits may be fed 

 upon meal worm, "ants eggs," crushed hemp 

 seed, and the paste recommended for 

 Nightingale, but the birds, especially the 

 Tree Pipit, are rather delicate, and difficult 

 to keep healthy. 



Habitat - -This is a common Summer 

 bird in almost all suitable parts of England, 

 frequenting woods and cultivated districts. 

 In Scotland it is less frequent. Gray in his 

 "Birds of the West of Scotland," says 

 that the only place where he has found it in 

 any abundance is in the vicinity of Glasgow, 

 and Dr. Sexby does not include it in his 

 " Birds of Shetland." From Ireland it had 

 not been recorded previous to 1878 (Zool. 

 Sept.), when two were seen and heard near 

 Dublin. 



Abroad. — It is a Summer migrant to all 

 the European countries, except the extreme 

 north. It is also found in Maderia, Malta, 

 Sicily, North Africa, India, China and 

 Japan. The Indian specimens are brightly 

 coloured. 



Nest. — The nest is placed on the 

 ground, generally on a sloping bank, 

 covered by long herbage, a tussock of 

 which will be frequently found overhanging 

 the structure and hiding it from view. Out- 

 side it is composed of dry blades of grass 

 and fiberous roots, a little moss being some- 

 times interwoven, and the inside being lined 

 with finer material and hair. 



' Eggs. — Perhaps the eggs of no British 

 bird, certainly those of no land bird varies 

 so much as the Tree Pipit, and it is very 

 difficult to say what is really the type. The 

 following forms are of regular occurrence : — 



Fig 1. — Yellowish drab, thickly freckled 

 with purple red, forming a zone at the 

 larger end. 



Fig 2. — Ground pinkish red, with purple- 

 red shades, and odd dark purple=brown 

 spots and lines. 



Fig 3.— Ground stone grey, with pale 

 purple shades, overlaid with darker shades 

 of rich madder brown, over which again are 

 dark purple brown spots and lines. Some- 

 times the spots and shades predominate at 

 the large end, at at other times both ends 

 are equally spotted. This is the most 

 beautiful form of the egg. 



Fig. 4. — Ground stone grey, overlaid 

 with soft shades of vandyke brown, which 

 in some places concentrate into almost 

 black spots. 



Fig. 5. — Ground bluish stone colour, 

 with a zone of soft purple brown shades and 

 spots near the large end, and odd spots on 

 other parts of the eggs, some being pale and 

 appearing as if covered by a portion of the 

 shell. 



The following varieties are of less frequent 

 occurrence : — 



Fig. 6.— Ground pinkish drab, with dis- 

 tinct black spots principally at the large 

 end, most of which were surrounded by a 

 purple shade. 



Fig. 7,— Ground stone grey, with numer- 



