130 TAWNY PIPIT. 



the east. From Palestine and Asia ]\Iinor 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 

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

 watered soil ; but on sterile plains sprinkled with a little coarse 

 herbage it is usually abundant, up to an elevation of about 3,000 

 or 4,000 feet in Europe. It crosses the Mediterranean from the 

 end of March onwards, reaching 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. 68), those of the Rufous Warbler ; average 

 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 ; but it is said to be fond of bathing. 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 remain- 

 ing tail-feathers ; from the base of the bill a faint dusky stripe ; chin 

 and throat tawny-white ; breast warmer buff slightly striated with 

 brown ; lower parts paler ; bill 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 the 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 very pronounced on the margins of the wing and tail- 

 feathers, while the brown markings of the upper parts and of the 

 breast are much more intense. 



