540 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
eccentric. They build their nests (I am tolerably sure) similarly to 
the Lark’s on the ground, with a few loose dry leaves of grass: they 
are generally either single or in pairs.” We have recently seen 
examples from the Lydenburg district in the Eastern Transvaal, 
collected by Mr. Lucas, and now belonging to the Bloemfontein 
Museum. 
The author had a specimen alive at the Cape fora long time, 
which he described as Anthus calthrope, but which we now know to 
be the same as A. brachyurus. The following account of it is 
extracted from the first edition of the present work:—* A little pet 
—the only specimen I have seen—of a small Anthus is merrily 
hopping about in my aviary, and known to the household by the 
familiar name of ‘ Brownie,’ and from his engaging ways and 
sprightly song, is a general favourite. He came into my possession 
more than six years ago, and was brought from Swartland. He 
usually commences his song the earliest, but one, of all my birds: 
the “ early bird” is a Java sparrow, who with the faintest dawn begins 
a low guttural gobbling, ending in a mellow but short pipe. As soon 
as I remove the cover from the cage, ‘ Brownie,’ who roosts on the 
ground, sometimes in a corner, at other times behind the seed-box, 
mounts a large stone, placed in the cage for his special benefit, 
and pours out his voluble song, short, certainly, but oft-repeated. 
Occasionally he will hop on the edge of the cage, or mayhap on a 
perch, and then treat us to a stave; but his favourite singing-place 
is the stone. Sometimes when I am going to bed, without any 
warning, ‘ Brownie’ will start off in full tide of song: he is then 
usually on the ground. He, however, has more than once been 
in disgrace. Among the many birds confined with him, are a pair 
of doves from Java: these he almost stripped of their feathers, 
for the sake of nibbling the quill-ends, which are rapidly passed 
through his little sharp bill, like canes through a sugar-crusher, and 
with the same results. From this propensity, I fancy ‘ Brownie’ must 
like a meat diet—worms and insects, perhaps; he, however, feeds 
upon canary-seed, and will eat groundsel and chickweed, and all that 
the canaries which are inhabitants of the same large cage feed upon.” 
528. ANTHUS LINEIVENTRIS, Sund. Larger Yellow-tufted Pipit. 
This and the two following species of Anthus are distinguished 
by their yellow axillaries and under wing-coverts. The upper 
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