ROCK PIPIT. 195 



are wholly, or almost wholly, brown, and some wholly greenish 

 grey, with a streak surrounding the base. 



The young are hatched earl}^ in the spring. 



Male; weight, about seven drachms; length, six inches and 

 three quarters, or nearly so; bill, dusky, the upper one yellowish 

 brown, except at the tip, and both yellowish at the base; iris, 

 deep brown; over it is a narrow yellowish white or whitish 

 streak, not always conspicuous, sometimes tinged with green, 

 and another beneath the hinder part of it. There are a few 

 short bristly feathers at the base of the bill; head and crown, 

 brown with a tinge of olive, the shafts of the feathers being 

 a little darker; neck on the sides, greenish white, with brown 

 streaks; on the back it is the same as the head, as is the 

 nape. Chin, dull yellowish white, the middle of each feather 

 by the shaft deeper coloured; throat, dull yellowish white, 

 streaked with brown; breast, dull greenish white, with brown 

 spots and streaks; lower down it is yellowish white, with only 

 a few dark brown streaks, and on the sides olive brown; back, 

 dull greenish brown, the centre of each feather dark brown. 



The wings have the first quill feather the longest of the 

 whole, the next three successively a little shorter, the fifth 

 still shorter; greater and lesser wing coverts, dusky, edged 

 with pale olive; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, the same. 

 Tail, dusky; it is rather long, and extends nearly an inch 

 and a half beyond the wings when closed; the outside feather 

 has the outer web and part of the inner one dull greenish 

 white, the tip whitish; the second feather is only edged at 

 the end and tip with this colour, the others are fringed with 

 light olive; there is most white on these feathers in the 

 spring season; the two central ones are lighter coloured and 

 shorter than the others, and the next three on each side very 

 dark brown; upper tail coverts, dull greenish brown; under 

 tail coverts, light brown, or pale yellowish or greenish white, 

 changing to almost white. Legs, reddish brown; toes, the 

 same; claws, black, and somewhat curved, the hinder one much 

 more than the rest, and longer than the toe. 



These birds are more or less tinged with grey, and less or 

 more with the olive colour, according to the season of the 

 year. 



The female is very similar to the male in plumage, and 

 nearly, but not quite, of equal length. 



In the young, the bill is lighter coloured at the base; the 

 head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, are tinted with 



