116 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Mr. E. T. Filmer relates rather a curious instance of 

 the intelHgence of the Tree-Pipit. One day while sitting 

 down to rest on the bank in the railway cutting, a Tree- 

 Pipit flew across the line from the opposite side, and 

 hopped on to his boot, and appeared in distress ; it then 

 flew back again to its nest. Thinking this was somewhat 

 strange, he crossed over, and found a Common Snake 

 devouring one of the newly hatched Pipits; it had already 

 eaten one, leaving only two young ones in the nest. He 

 dispatched the snake, to the relief of the Tree-Pipit. 



EICHAED'S PIPIT. 



Anthus richardi, Vieillot. Noiiv. Diet. cVHist. 

 Nat., xxvi., p. 491 (1818). 



In his Ornithology of Kent, in the Zoologist, 1844, the 

 Rev. J. Pemberton-Bartlett states that it "has been shot 

 in Kent," but he does not give a single instance. 



Eichard's Pipit may be considered an occasional visitor 

 to the county, and few records of its occurrence are to 

 hand. 



Mr. Charles Gordon, of Dover, writing to the Zoologist, 

 1868, says: "On October 21 (1868) I shot a most superb 

 specimen of Eichard's Pipit {Anthus richardi) in a corn- 

 field in the environs of Dover. It attracted my attention 

 by its loud call. This specimen is in good condition, 

 having just completed its moult. Its length is 7| inches, 

 and its weight 1|- ounces. On dissection the bird proved 

 to be a male." 



Mr. W. Oxenden Hammond, of Wingham, in Kent, 

 states: "I obtained a specimen of Eichard's Pipit about 

 the middle of November last (1889). It was caught by 



