PIPITS. OR TITLARKS. 35 



RICHARD'S PIPIT, 



{Anthus Rkardi.) 



PLATE III. — FIQCUE I. 



Only a few specimens of this very rare bird have yet been met 

 with in the Bi-itish Isles, and in no Ruropean country is it at all 

 common, little therefore is known of its habits: in appearance it is 

 said very closely to resemble the Rock Pipit, so closely, that only 

 a practical ornithologist could detect any difference between the two 

 species. It is not so much a shore bird as A. aquaticus, althouo-h 

 it sometimes frequents the sea margins and salt marshes near to them. 



The whole length of this bird is about six inches and three quar- 

 ters, it is therefore one of the largest of our group of Pipits; the 

 npper part of its beak is dark brown, tlie lower much paler, with 

 a yellow tinge; the feathers on the top of the head, nape, back, 

 wings, and upper tail coverts, are dark browa with yellowish edfi-ino-s; 

 over the eyes and oar coverts passes a whitish streak, more or less 

 distinct in different individuals; like the chin, throat, and whole 

 under part of the body, the outer tail feather on each side is dull 

 white; at the sides of the neck and upper part of the breast there 

 is a tinge of yellow, and the latter is spotted with dark brown; the 

 flanks also are tinged with pale yellow, and the legs, toes, and 

 claws are flesh-coloured, the hind claw being, like that of the Rock 

 Pipit, very long, but not neai-ly so much curved. On the whole it 

 is a handsome bird, having the long tail of the Pipit genus, and a 

 slender, though well-proportioned body. No full description of its 

 habits has yet been given, few opportunities for observing them havino- 

 occurred, on account of its rarity: whenever seen it has been always 

 on the ground, where it runs swiftly and easily, sometimes waviuo- 

 its tail up and down with the peculiar motion which is chai-acteristic 

 of the Wagtails. It has a loud shrill note, which may be heard a 

 long way off, and is uttered frequently while the bird is flying. 



The name of this species, Eicardi, was given to it in compliment 

 to Mr. Richards, a zealous ornithological collector, who first made 

 it known to science by an example taken in Lorraine: it was first 



