544 PERCHING BIRDS 



continent. The stragglers that occasionally visit Great Britain nearly 

 always arrive on the south coast, and more especially in Sussex. 

 Thus, out of a score of individuals recorded up to 1900, all but four 

 were taken in that county, mostly in the neighbourhood of Brighton. 

 Of the other four, one occurred at Scilly, two in the eastern counties, 

 and one in Yorkshire. Another individual was recorded from Sussex 

 in 1903 ; and it is stated by a writer in the Zoologist for the following 

 year that the species may probably be regarded as a regular autumn 

 visitor to that count)'. 



„. . The watcr-nipit, although a rare visitor to the British 



Water-Pipit , , , , , r 1 1 • , ,• 



,. , . , .. \ Islands, can scarcely be relused a place m the list. 



(Anthus spipoletta). „„ . , . . , 



When m the immature or wmter-plumage, m one 



of which conditions the Ikitish stragglers are probably to be found, 

 the species may be distinguished from immature tawny pipits by the 

 presence of dark streaks on the flanks. From the titlark it generally 

 differs by having the tips of the pair of tail-feathers next to the outer 

 ones brown in place of white on the outer web ; while from the rock- 

 pipit it is distinguishable by the light portion of the outer tail-feathers 

 being white in place of smoky brown. Ranging from the Altai to 

 the mountains of central and southern Europe, the water-pipit some- 

 times wanders to England, especially the south-eastern counties, 

 although it has also been taken in Lincolnshire. It was long 

 supposed that up to 1899 only nine British specimens could be 

 authenticated, but a considerable number have since been added 

 to the list. 



„ , „. , The true rock-pipit, which measures about 6x inches 



Rock-Pinit i i > 4 



, . , ^ in length, is characterised by the olive-brown, varied 



(Anthus obscurus ). , , , , r , , , , 



by darker streaks, of the upper-parts, and the dun 



ochery olive streaked and clouded with greyish brown of the lower 



surface ; an especially distinctive feature being the smoky brown of 



the external webs of the outer pair of tail-feathers. In young birds 



the streaks arc more numerous. It is a larger and darker bird than 



the titlark. 



On the rock-bound coasts of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, as well 



as in similar situations in certain parts of England, this pipit is a 



resident species ; but on the south coast, as well as in the inland 



counties, it is to be met with only during migration or in the winter, 



when it sometimes makes its appearance in considerable numbers. 



The nest, which is always placed close to the shore, may be either on 



