MOTACILLID.t. 



RICHARDS PIPIT. 

 Anthus richardi, Vieillot. 



This large Pipit, distinguishable by its length of limb and ex- 

 tremely long hind claw, is an Eastern species which visits Western 

 Europe irregularly on migration, generally in autumn ; and at least 

 sixty occurrences are on record in Great Britain — but none in 

 Ireland — since 1824, when Vigors announced it as a visitor to our 

 shores. The majority of these have been in the southern districts 

 of England, especially on the Sussex coast ; but six examples have 

 been obtained near Yarmouth in Norfolk, three in Northumberland, 

 one in Shropshire, one — in summer — near Fleetwood in Lancashire, 

 two in Cumberland, and recently, two in Warwickshire. In Scot- 

 land the only authenticated example is one obtained by Mr. J- G. 

 Millais, near Dunkeld, on August 2nd iSSo. 



On the Continent, Richard's Pipit has been met with, as a rare 

 straggler, in the southern districts of Norway and Sweden ; but on 

 Borkum, Heligoland, and along the coasts of Holland, Belgium and 

 France, it is not uncommon on migration. In Central Europe it is 

 rare, though in the south of France, especially in Provence, it is not 

 unfrequent ; near Malaga and throughout the south of Spain it is 

 in some years tolerably common from November to April ; while it 

 occurs irregularly in Italy and in the basin of the Mediterranean, 

 occasionally visiting North Africa. Its usual breeding-grounds are 

 not to be found west of Turkestan ; in the valley of the Yenesei 



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