138 TAWNY PIPIT. 



Damaraland on the west side of Africa, and the Lake districts on 

 the east. From Palestine and Asia Minor we trace it to Turkestan 

 and the plains of North-western India ; while from Central Asia to 

 Eastern Siberia it is represented by a smaller race of doubtful 

 specific distinctness. It is essentially a desert-loving species, and 

 even when migrating will seldom be found on fertile or well-watered 

 soil, but on plains sprinkled with a little coarse herbage it is 

 usually abundant, up to an elevation of about 5,000 feet in Southern 

 Europe. It crosses the Mediterranean from the end of March 

 onwards, and reaches the shores of the Baltic late in April ; while 

 the return migration takes place in August and September. 



The nest is placed at the foot of a shrub or bush — on the lee-side 

 where there is a prevalent wind — and sometimes among growing 

 barley ; the materials being roots and dry grass, with a lining of 

 horsehair. The eggs, 5-6 in number, are of a greyish-white, 

 blotched and streaked with darker grey and purplish-brown ; 

 resembling, as already observed (p. 74), those of the Rufous 

 Warbler : measurements "85 by "62 in. The food consists of small 

 insects, but seldom or never of seeds. This species does not 

 collect in large flocks, like other Pipits. The call-note is a short 

 whit ; and the song, usually uttered during a brief fluttering flight, 

 is poor and monotonous. 



The adult male in spring is sandy-brown tinged with grey on the 

 upper parts, with dull darker centres to the feathers, more marked 

 on the crown, but almost obsolete on the rump ; over the eye a 

 buffish-white streak; ear-coverts ash-brown ; wing-coverts dark brown 

 with buff edges ; quills and secondaries umber-brown, with tawny 

 margins ; the outer pair of tail-feathers dull white, with a large 

 portion of the margin of the inner web brown ; in the second pair 

 the brown extends nearly to the shaft, which is also brown, as are 

 the remaining tail-feathers ; from the base of the bill to the eye a 

 faint dusky stripe ; chin and throat tawny-white ; breast warmer buff, 

 slightly striated with brown ; lower parts paler ; biU brown above, 

 yellowish below ; legs and feet yellowish-brown. Length 6 "5 in ; 

 wing 3 -6 in. The female is slightly smaller than the male, and is 

 said to be often without the streaks on the breast, but the least 

 spotted bird in a series before me is a male. From the autumn 

 moult to the early part of the following spring the tints are much 

 more tawny, and, in young birds, are pronounced on the margins of 

 the wing and tail-feathers, while the brown markings of the upper 

 parts and of the breast are more intense. 



