602 MOTACILLIDiE. 



of the outer tail-feather. No such vinous-hreasted birds have ever 

 been found breeding in Great Britain, but the Scandinavian Rock- 

 Pipit occurs on its autumn migration on certain parts of the east 

 coast of Eugland, and passes regularly along the south coast both 

 in autumn and spring. Should the two Rock-Pipits be deemed 

 worthy of separation, the name of ohscurus must be retained for the 

 British and that of rupestris for the Scandinavian form. 



In the Scandinavian Rock-Pipit a complete change from the winter 

 plumage takes place in February and March by a moult, the new 

 feathers being dark ashy above, while the breast also changes into 

 a dark rosy colour, with black centres to the feathers ; these dark 

 centres diminish by degrees and apparently disappear, leaving the 

 breast uniform rosy. That such a moult occurs I am certain, it 

 being proved by specimens procured by Mr. Henry Swaysland in 

 Sussex on the 12th of February and the 17th of March last year. 

 These birds wore evidently on their return migration ; but as some 

 of the specimens from the continent have the breast uniform rosy 

 in the breeding-season, I am not yet certain whether the spots 

 on the breast disappear gradually. It may be that the very old 

 birds have the uniform breast, and that it is the younger birds which 

 retain spots to a greater or less extent after their first spring moult. 



In the spotted-breasted birds, as the summer wears on, the rosy 

 tinge becomes obliterated and the spots greatly merged by the 

 abrasion of the light edges to the feathers, so that the fore neck 

 and chest become almost uniform. The same may be said of the 

 upper surface, which becomes nearly uniform dark ashy, slightly 

 mottled with remains of the blackish centres to the feathers ; the 

 lio-ht tips to the wing-coverts become obsolete. The strong olive- 

 yellow tint on the belly of freshly-moulted spring-plumaged birds 

 becomes faded until the belly is quite white. 



Hah. The coasts of Northern Europe from the White Sea to the 

 Bay of Biscay ; everywhere resident, except in the extreme north. 

 Numbers visit Heligoland on migration in spring and autumn, and the 

 same may be said of the British Islands, where a resident race occurs. 



a. A. rupestris. 

 a Juv. sk. Europe. Gould Collection. 



h Ad sk. France. Gould Collection. 



c 2 ad. sk. Normandy. J. E. Harting, Esq. [P.]. 



ci Ad. sk. England. Gould Collection. 



e f. Imm.sk. Brighton, Oct. 10, 1867 Gould Collection. 



'■ (6r. Sivmjsland). 



tj^m. Imm. sk. Brighton, Nov. 18 {H. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



Sivayslcmd) . 

 n. Imm. sk. Rottendeau, Sussex, Nov. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



18 {H. Swaysland). 

 0. 2 ad. St. Lancing,Sussex, March 17 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



(if. Swaysland). 

 p. Imm. sk. Lancing, Sussex, Nov. 4 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



{H. Swaysland). 

 q. Ad. sk. NewhaveuiSussex,Feb.l2 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



(2f. Swaysland). 



i 



