MEADOW PIPIT. 317 



The upper part of the head, and whole plumage above, is of a dusky 

 brown, with paler margins ; from each side the under mandible a dusky 

 line passes down the side of the throat ; the throat and under parts 

 dirty white ; the sides of the neck and breast marked with oblong spots 

 of dusky ; quills dusky brown, slightly edged with a paler colour ; tail 

 the same, the outer feather white, except at the base of the inner web; 

 the next has a little white at the point ; legs brownish. 



The Meadow Pipit is a very common bird in most parts of the 

 kingdom ; it is partial to barren situations, and is found equally on 

 the mountainous parts as well as in the low and swampy places. In 

 Scotland it is almost the only bird found upon the vast extended tracks 

 of heath, amongst which it breeds : the nest is placed on the ground 

 amongst furze or long grass, and is composed of bents, dry grass, and 

 stalks of plants, lined with fine dry grass, and sometimes long horse- 

 hair. The eggs vary considerably in colour ; being sometimes found of 

 a dark brown, at others whitish, thickly speckled all over with rufous 

 brown, or of a pale brown, tinged with red ; they are generally six in 

 number. In winter these birds mostly frequent the lower grounds in 

 search of insects and worms, keeping together in small flocks. 



We have found the eggs of this bird, from different nests, weigh 

 from twenty-four to thirty-four grains. 



* The various and fluctuating opinions, concerning the distinction be- 

 tween the Meadow Pipit and tit-lark, have been the means of calling our 

 particular attention to the subject. We formerly thought these birds a 

 distinct species ; but more recent observations induce us to recall that 

 opinion, and to bring them together as one species. We before noticed 

 that the tit-lark remained with us the whole year, changing its plumage 

 in the autumn, and becoming more olivaceous yellow. 



The supposed Pipit, on the contrary, was believed to appear in this 

 country only in the autumn, and nothing farther had been traced of 

 this bird. With the knowledge that the annual change in plumage 

 has so frequently deceived the most able naturalists, we were anxious 

 to push our researches further respecting these two supposed species. 



A bird so common as the tit-lark was easily procured at different 

 periods throughout the summer months, from the time of incubation 

 till the autumn. We have taken its nest with young, and have shot 

 young tit-larks in the month of July, some time after they had left 

 their nest, when all their feathers were perfect, and have invariably 

 found them in the plumage of the supposed Pipit, differing considerably 

 in the tints from the parent birds. We have also shot the old birds in 

 all the latter months of the year, and have found that their feathers 



