602 MOTACILLID^. 



from the Austrian specimen already mentioned, utterly 

 unknown, and hence we are driven to hazard the conjecture 

 that the examples which visit the above-named countries or 

 districts have their origin still further to the eastward, 

 whence they pass rapidly and unobserved over the inter- 

 vening territory. As has been before stated, it is said to 

 be common in Dauuria, but it certainly does not inhabit 

 Western Siberia. Mr. Dresser suggests that the Antlius 

 campestris of Dr. Eadde, which he says is not uncommon 

 in parts of Eastern Siberia, may be this species. In th^ 

 south of China it is found throughout the winter, and Mr. 

 Swinhoe supposes it may breed on the hills near Foochow 

 and Amoy. It has been obtained in Siam, Burma and the 

 Andaman Islands, and it occurs over the greater part of India, 

 though only in the cold weather, from Nepaul and the Hima- 

 layas to the extreme south, as well as in Ceylon. Jerdon 

 says that in India it always aflects swampy or wet ground, 

 but Beavan found it to frequent dry and sandy spots. It is 

 brought in large numbers to the Calcutta market and sold 

 under the name of Ortolan. 



The figure here given was taken, like those of Bewick and 

 Selby, from the bird originally obtained by Vigors, which, 

 with his whole collection, was subsequently presented to the 

 Zoological Society, but since the dispersal of the magnificent 

 museum of that Society its fate is unknown to the Editor. 



The upper mandible is dark brown, lighter along the 

 edges, the lower mandible pale yellow-brown : the irides 

 very dark brown : a light buff stripe passes over the eyes 

 and ear-coverts, which last are brown ; the top of the head 

 and upper parts generally are dark clove-brown, each feather 

 more or less broadly edged with light yellowish-brown, but 

 the back and rump are duller and more uniform in colour ; 

 wings dark clove-brown, the greater coverts and lowest row 

 of the least coverts edged with dull white and the middle 

 coverts with buff, thus forming three distinct light bars 

 across the folded wing ; the outer edges of the. quills light, 

 those of the primaries very narrow, but those of the tertials 

 broad and strongly tinged with ochreous, while those of the 



