ANTHUS VAALENSIS. 311 



toria Nyanza, and at Redjaf and Lado in the Upper White 

 Nile district. Further north A. gouldi has been met with by 

 von Heuglin at the Gazal river and by Mr. Jesse in Bogosland, 

 where he also procured a specimen of A. sordidus, and both 

 of these are now in the British Museum. 



According to Mr. Jackson : " This Pipit has a curious 

 habit of fluttering up into the air, and then flying round in 

 wide circles and constantly darting upward with a rapid 

 quivering of the wings, making a loud drumming noise like a 

 toy police rattle." He found it plentiful in British Bast 

 Africa, but confined to a very restricted area. The habits, 

 as described by Mr. Jackson, appear to be very similar to 

 those of A. trivialis and other Pipits. 



Anthus vaalensis, sp. nov. 



Anthus pyrrhonotus (nee Vieill.), Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 156 Transvaal ; 

 Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 384 Bushman's B. ; Ayres, Ibis, 1876, 

 p. 426 Lydcnburg ; Sharpe in Oates's Matabele, p. 317 (1881) 

 Pietermaritzburg ; Butler, Feilden and Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 336. 



Types of A. vaalejisis. Very similar in size, form, and colouring to A. 

 nicholsoni, but differ in the crown and back being uniform, with no dark 

 centres to the feathers. Total length 7 - 6 and 70 inches, culmen 055, wing 

 4-2 and 3-9, tail 3-2 and 30, tarsus 1T5 and 1-1, hind claw 0-35. New- 

 castle, $, 26. 6. 81 (Butler), Ingagani B. 5 , 27. 6. 81 (Beid). 



The Tawny Plain-backed Pipit inhabits northern Natal 

 and the Transvaal. 



It is well represented in the British Museum by Mr. T. E. 

 Buckley's specimens from Bushman's river, by Messrs. Butler, 

 Feilden and Reid's from the Ingagani river and Newcastle, and 

 to the north of the Vaal river by Mr. T. Ayres's and Oates's 

 specimens from Potchefstrooin, Rustenberg and the Lyden- 

 burg districts. Amongst these there is an interesting variety 



