SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOL.OGY. 245 



I'rom his burnished plumage, he soars aloft, and hastens to his nest 

 to share the spoil with his young, or feast upon it at leisure. Often, 

 however, is the Osprey robbed of his prize. We have alluded to 

 the Whiteheaded Eagle as his foe, who frequently chases him when 

 loaded with his booty, which he is forced to relinquish to his 

 stronger opponent. * * * The eggs are generally three, dull 

 white, blotched with dark red or yellow-brown." In young birds 

 the feathers on the upper parts are tipped with white. 



Tawny Pipit, Anthus rufescens — Pipit rousseline, jPr.— Brach 

 Piper, G. Our author figures a pretty pair of birds, natural size. 

 This Pipit— the A. campestris of Bechstein — is the largest of the 

 European species, and is easily distinguished by the pervading yel- 

 low tint of the plumage. Visits France and Germany in spring, 

 where it breeds in abundance ; rare in Holland, and unkown in 

 England. It is a terrestrial species, and builds on the ground, 

 amongst loose herbage or clots of earth ; lays from four to six round- 

 ish eggs of a pale grey colour, with russet markings. This bird 

 offers no sexual or seasonal changes of plumage. 



A lovely figure, in the summer plumage, size of life, of the Gull- 

 billed Tern, Sterna Anglica, Montagu — Sterne Hansel ? Fr. Mr. 

 Gould says little or nothing respecting the geographical distribution 

 of the GuUbilled Tern ; but, according to other authorities, it 

 abounds in the lakes and marshes of Hungary, and the confines of 

 Turkey. Selby believes the Marsh Tern of Wilson to be the same 

 bird, though Mr. Ord is of a different opinion. We cannot our- 

 selves speak with certainty on the subject, but we rather incline to 

 the view taken by Mr. Selby. This author tells us " it breeds in 

 the marshes, making no nest, but depositing on the bare ground 

 three or four eggs of an oil-green colour, spotted with dark brown. 

 It has not been known to breed in England, although most of the 

 specimens hitherto obtained, as well as that described and figured by 

 Montagu, were in the summer or nuptial plumage." The term 

 Afiglicttj for a bird so rare in England, is decidedly not good. A'/er- 

 na palustris certainly offers a less objectionable designation. 



Part VIII. — The Rufous Reedling, Salicaria galactotes, Gould 

 — Becfin rubigineux, Fr. Our author's representation of an adult, 

 natural size, is excellent in every respect. Inhabits the south of 

 Spain. M. Natterer — the discoverer of the species — met with it at 

 Gibraltar, " and killed two pairs at Algesiras.'' It appears to be 

 less partial to fens and marshy grounds than the true Reedlings — of 

 which our Sedge and Marsh Reedlings may be taken as typical ex- 

 amples — and we perfectly coincide with Temmiuck and Gould in 



