BIRDS OF THE FIELD 263 



occurrence, although of late years an increasing 

 number of examples have been observed especially 

 upon the east coast, and the Crested, Short-toed 

 and White-winged Larks are the merest stragglers. 



The Pipits form a small group of birds which 

 occupy a position between the Wagtails and the 

 true Larks. Six species of Pipit are included in 

 the British list. Of these, three, the Water, Tawny 

 and Richard's Pipits, are extremely rare. The 

 Water or Alpine Pipit, sometimes confused with 

 the Rock Pipit, but easily distinguished from it by 

 the light eye-streak and rufous hue of the breast, 

 has occurred in Great Britain on some three or four 

 occasions only. Of the Tawny Pipit, a bird com- 

 mon on the Continent, about twenty occurrences 

 have been noted, and of Richard's Pipit, the 

 largest of the group, about sixty. 



The Rock Pipit is a fairlv numerous species which 

 resorts exclusivelv to the rocks and declivities about 

 the sea-coast. It has many traits in common with 

 the ]\Ieadow Pipit, and was for a long time con- 

 founded with it. It nests more or less regularly 

 along the whole coast-line with the exception of the 

 part which lies between the Humber and the 

 Thames. 



Of the two common forms, the Meadow Pipit is 

 the more widely spread; indeed, wherever open 

 spaces extend, in pasture, common or moorland, it 

 is well-nigh ubiquitous. It is usually to be seen 

 flitting from the grass by the wayside to alight on 

 the wall, where its sober hues blend with the grey 



