RICHARDS PIPIT. 181 
In Ireland and Scotland it has not occurred up to the 
present time. 
Richard’s Pipit appears to be partial to dry rocky situations. 
It seldom alights in trees, being addicted to the ground, 
where it finds its sustenance. 
Its food consists of insects of various kinds. 
The note is said to be very loud, and to be uttered fre- 
quently by the bird when on the wing. 
The eggs are described as being of a reddish white ground 
colour, speckled with darker red and lhght brown. 
This bird seems to vary much in size, different individuals 
measuring respectively, six inches and three quarters, seven 
inches and a quarter, seven and more than a half, and eight 
inches in length. The upper bill is dark brown, the lower 
one paler in colour, with a tinge of purple: two dark lines 
proceed from its base; one of them, which is made up of 
small spots, losing itself in the spots of the breast; the other 
ends near the ear coverts. Iris, very dark brown, nearly 
black—a light streak passes over it; head on the sides, reddish 
brown; on the crown, neck behind, and nape, brown in the 
middle of the feather, with a tinge of green, the edges being 
lighter yellowish brown; chin, dull white. Throat and breast, 
dull white, tinged on the upper part and the sides, and also 
the sides of the neck with yellowish brown, and the latter 
inclining to rufous in some specimens, and spotted with dark 
brown. Back, as the nape. 
The wings, which are rather short, have the first four 
feathers very nearly equal in length, the first being slightly 
the longest, and the others gradually diminishing from it; the 
fifth is a quarter of an inch shorter than the fourth. Greater 
and lesser wing coverts, dark brown, buff white on the edge 
of the feathers; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, dark 
brown, bordered with rust-colour. The tail has the outer 
feather on each side dull white, with an elongated patch of 
brown at the base of the inner web; the next feather on each 
side is also dull white on part of the web, but less extensively; 
the three next feathers are very dark brown; the two middle 
ones shorter than the rest, their colour a lighter brown, and 
their edges also paler; upper tail coverts, as the nape; under 
tail coverts, as the breast. Legs, toes, and claws, light brown, 
with a tinge of yellowish pink; the hind claw is very long, 
and not much curved. 
The female has less of the rufous tinge than the male. 
