196 ANTHUS AQUATICUS. 



lower mandible dull orange. The irides are deep blackish- 

 brown. The tarsi reddish-brown, the toes and claws dusky. 

 The upper parts are olivaceous, obscurely streaked with dark- 

 brown, the central part of each feather being of the latter co- 

 lour, as are the quills and coverts, of which the secondary coverts 

 and those of the first row are tipped with whitish. The tail- 

 feathers are blackish-brown, edged with olivaceous, the lateral 

 greyish -brown, with an oblique brownish-white terminal band, 

 including the greater part of the outer web, the next with the 

 tip brownish-white. The general colour of the lower parts is 

 greyish-yellow, of which there is a streak over the eye ; the 

 cheeks and sides of the neck yellowish-brown. A line of dusky 

 spots extends from the base of the lower mandible ; and the 

 lower part of the neck, the anterior part of the breast, and the 

 sides, are marked with oblong greyish-brown, or greenish-brown 

 spots, which are obscurely defined, their margins not being 

 abrupt as in the Meadow Pipit. 



Length to end of tail 6/^ inches ; extent of wings lOf ; bill 

 along the ridge |^, along the edge of lower mandible j"| ; wing 

 from flexure Oj% ; tail 2i% ; tarsus { I ; first toe /g, its claw j^| ; 

 second toe j%, its claw || ; third toe i%, its claw || ; fourth 

 toe y|, its claw ||. 



Female. — The female cannot be distinguished from the male 

 unless by dissection, being merely a little smaller. 



Length to end of tail 6j% inches ; extent of wings 10^. 



Variations. — I have not met with any other remarkable 

 variations in colour than those dependent upon the gradual de- 

 cay of the plumage. In summer, when the tips and margins 

 of the feathers have been abraded, the bird has a bleached ap- 

 pearance, the upper parts being of a rather uniform greyish- 

 brown, with very little olivaceous; thewingswith two brownish- 

 white bands ; the lower parts paler, as is the streak over the 

 eye. In short, the changes are similar to those exhibited by 

 the Meadow Pipit. 



Habits. — The Shore Pipit, although not generally very abun- 



