EED-THROATED PIPIT. 187 



them accordingly. Mr. Macgillivray has given a useful account 

 of it in his 'Manual of British Ornithology,' the first record, 

 that I am aware of, of this species as a British one. 



This species inhabits principally the south and east of 

 Europe. It is also found in the American and Asiatic Con- 

 tinents; also in Japan. 



The habits of this species are myotherine, that is, allied to 

 those of the Fl3^catchers, its food consisting of insects, both 

 of land and water, and their larvaj. These are the 'spolia 

 opima' of it and its allied species. 



The nest is built in mountainous regions, and the neighbour- 

 hood of water seems to be preferred, but not the sea coast. 



The eggs are four or five in number, and of a dull grey 

 colour, covered all over with faint brown spots, more or less* 

 confluent. 



Male; length, from rather more than six inches to six and 

 a half; bill, brownish black; from its base a yellowish white 

 line extends over the eye; head on the crown, ash-coloured 

 brown, the centre of each feather darker than tlie edges, more 

 or less distinctly according to the season of the year. Neck, 

 whitish in the front, on the sides and lower part streaked 

 with brown ; in the spring it is tinged witli rose-colom-ed red ; 

 chin, throat, and breast, yellowish grey, tinged in the spring 

 with roseate red; the latter spotted and streaked more or 

 less, especially on the sides, with greyish brown. The streaks 

 decrease with the advance of spring, and in some specimens 

 are totally obliterated; afterwards they again appear. Back, 

 greyish brown, with a slight tinge of olive; the centre of 

 each feather being of a darker shade, and those on the lower 

 part greenish. 



The wings expand to the width of eleven inches and three 

 quarters; greater wing coverts, brown; lesser wing coverts, 

 brown, edged with greenish yellow, and some of them tipped 

 with brownish grey. Primaries, brown, edged with greyish 

 white; the first four are almost equal, but the first the 

 longest, the fourth the shortest; secondaries, brown, edged 

 with greenish yellow. The tail, wdiich is rather long, has 

 the two middle feathers ash-coloured brown, the rest blackish 

 brown; the outside feather on each side has a long oblique 

 white patch on the inner web, and the greater part of the 

 outer web is white; the next is similarly marked, but not so 

 extensively, and is tipped with greyish white. Legs, toes, 

 and claws, brownish black, with a tinge of pm'ple. 



