WATER PIPIT.
BRIGHTON PIPIT. VINOUS PIPIT.
Anthus spinoletta,
" aqutiiicus,
" jnuutauus,
Alauda spiiwUlla,
BUONAPARTE.
BECHSTEIN.
KOCK.
LlNNjEUS.
Anthus—Some small bird. Spinoletta—
THE n a m e of W a t e r P i p i t g i v e n to t h i s species a p p e a r s to b e a
m i s n o m e r for half t h e y e a r , for in t h e a u t u m n a n d w i n t e r only it
d e s c e n d s to t h e l o w l a n d s that b o r d e r on s t r e a m s of w a t e r , w h i l e in
t h e s u m m e r it r e m a i n s to b r e e d in t h e m o u n t a i n o u s d i s t r i c t s.
I t is f o u n d in S w i t z e r l a n d , B a v a r i a , I t a l y , a n d , t h o u g h m o r e r a r e l y,
i n B u l g a r i a , also i n G e r m a n y.
T e n of t h e s e b i r d s w e r e shot n e a r B r i g h t o n , b e t w e e n t h e 1 6 t h . a n d 2 0 t h .
of M a r c h , 1867, a n d one h a d b e e n p r e v i o u s l y o b t a i n e d at W o r t h i n g.
I t a r r i v e s in t h i s c o u n t r y in t h e a u t u m n , and d e p a r t s again e a r ly
i n t h e s p r i n g to b r e e d . In t h e y e a r 1869 t h e y were n o t i c e d near
B r i g h t o n , on t h e 1 0 t h . o f F e b r u a r y , a n d a g a i n t h e m a l e a n d female,
M a r c h 17th. a n d 1 8 t h . All h a v e left b y t h e s e c o n d w e e k in A p r i l.
T h e y h a v e b e e n n o t i c e d at S h o r e h a m on O c t o b e r 26th.
T h e y a r e v e r y w i l d , b u t if a p p r o a c h e d while e n g a g e d w i t h their
y o u n g , keep flying about any i n t r u d e r ; o t h e r w i s e t h e female sits
c o n s t a n t l y on t h e e g g s.
T h e i r song is o n l y of a s i m p l e c h a r a c t e r , a n d w h i l e s i n g i n g t he
m a l e b i r d rises u p i n t o t h e a i r , u t t e r i n g its n o t e , at first slowly, b u t
g r a d u a l l y more v i g o r o u s l y , ' t u i g h , t u i g h , t u i g h / when it descends
i n t o a l o n g d r a w n out ' s i - s i - s i - s i - s i , ' w i t h e x t e n d e d w i n g s , a n d s l a n ts
on to some s h r u b or s t o n e . It r a r e l y s i n g s w h e n p e r c h e d.
T h e nest is b u i l t i n moss, a n d u n d e r t h e s h e l t e r of some s t o n e . It
is m a d e of b l a d e s of g r a s s , s t i c k s , s t e m s , a n d moss i n t e r w o v e n t o g e t h e r,