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 further 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 
