352 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



out spots, while pale blackish stripes are found on these parts only 

 in young birds still in their first plumage. 



The measurements of a fine old male shot on the 7 th of May 

 1850, are as follows : — Total length, S ins. (203 mm.) ; length of 

 wings, 3-93 ins. (100 mm.) ; length of tail, 315 ins. (80 m.m.) ; length 

 of tail uncovered by wings, 1-96 in. (50 inm.) ; length of bill, '59 in. 

 (15 mm.) ; length of tarsus, 1-25 in. (32 mm.). The middle toe 

 measures -78 in. (20 mm.), and its nail -31 in. (8i mm.) The 

 230sterior toe measures '51 in. (13 mm.), and its spur '78 in. 

 (20 7nm.). 



The breeding home of this species is Daiiria, extending from 

 Lake Baikal eastwards to the Lower Amoor, and southward to 

 Mongolia. In its autumn migration it is carried in great quanti- 

 ties to China and India — as far south as Ceylon ; but, as is the 

 case with many species from eastern Asia, a large proportion of 

 these migrants turns to the west — probably none to so great an 

 extent as this Pipit — flying across the whole of the Asiatic and 

 European continents to Spain, and even passing from the latter 

 country across to western Africa — a migration flight of 4800 geo- 

 graphical miles. During these migrations, solitary examples of the 

 bird have been killed in all countries of Europe. From England 

 about fifty such instances, dating back as far as the year 1812, 

 are recorded. That the bird has not been more frequently killed 

 in Germanjr is probably due to insufficient observation, for con- 

 sidering the record which this little neighbouring island is able 

 to show in this respect, one would conclude with certainty that 

 the bird must also have very frequently touched on the mainland 

 of Germany. 



The first eggs of this species were collected by Dybowski near 

 Lake Baikal, and have probably hitherto not been found west of 

 that district ; they are very much like those of the Water and 

 Rock Pipit, but are somewhat larger, and not so pointed as the 

 latter ; the largest of four collected by Dybowski, and in my posses- 

 sion, is -86 in. (22 mm.) long, and -57 in. (17 mm.) broad. In two 

 of them the ground-colour is white, but so closely and finely 

 marked with light reddish brown, that at a short distance the eggs 

 appear of a uniform colour ; the third is very similar, but its colour 

 inclines slightly towards a brownish olivaceous ; the fourth is much 

 larger, with clearer brownish spots and dashes, so that the greenish 

 white ground-colour everywhere is seen clearly through the 

 markings. 



