168 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



wings and opening his mouth, as lie sits on a bush or 

 railing, to receive unnumbered delicacies from the 

 beak of its foster-parent. How bright and fresh is the 

 plumage of these pipits in the earlj spring when, on a 

 warm sunny day, we find them in company with the 

 stonechat and whinchat, amongst the yellow gorse. 

 Flitting from bush to bush, they rise and fall in the 

 full tide of song, or chase each other in amorous flight ; 

 and sad, indeed, must be the heart that at such a time 

 catches no inspiration from these sights and sounds. In 

 winter both old and young congregate in flocks, and in 

 sharp weather frequent the stack-yards with other birds ; 

 but, as a rule, are not generally found so close to our 

 towns and cities as their rural companion the sky-lark. In 

 autumn their numbers are increased by immense flocks 

 from the north, which keep passing onwards to more 

 southern counties, and many are picked up at the foot 

 of our lighthouses, killed by concussion against the 

 upper windows, as before described of other migratory 

 species. 



ANTHUS RICARDI, VieiU. 



EICHAED'S PIPIT. 



Three specimens only of this rare pipit are recorded to 

 have been killed in Norfolk, of which two (Nos. 98 and 

 98. a) are in the museum collection.* All three were pro- 

 cured on the Denes between Yarmouth and Caister, the 

 first on the 22nd of November, 1841 ; the next in the 

 following April; and the third example on the 24th of 

 April, 1843. Of this last specimen Mr. Fisher observes 



* No. 98 is tlie one killed in April, 1842; and 98.a the specimen 

 obtained on the 22nd of November, 1841. Whether the thu'd 

 example is still in existence I am unable to say. 



