PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 173 



Bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower flesh-colour ; iris 

 olive-brown ; legs and feet flesh -colour. 



Length 6*5 ; wing 3'1; tail 2-8; tarsus "85; bill from 

 gape '75. 



Distribution. — A migrant, breeding in Northern China and 

 Eastern Siberia, and wintering from India eastwards to 

 Southern China, but rare in most parts of India. 



In Ceylon it is almost confined to the northern forest tract, 

 but may occasionally be met with elsewhere. 



Habits. — Generally found by the grassy sides of roads 

 running through forest. It is, for instance, fairly numerous 

 from October to March on the sides of the roads leading from 

 Puttalam to Anuradhapura and Kurunegala. The birds are 

 generally in pairs, which keep flying in front of one in little 

 flights of about 100 yards, perching on low branches, and 

 moving on as one catches up with them. They will continue 

 in this manner for some distance before they double back. 

 When hunting for food they run about on the ground and 

 wag their tails from side to side, instead of up and down as 

 other Wagtails do. 



Anthus richardi richardi. 

 Richard's Pipit. 



Anthus richardi (Gates, Vol. II., p. 307) ; Corydalla richardi 

 (Legge, p. 621). 



Description. — Upper plumage fulvous-brown, the feathers 

 of the head and back with dark brown centres ; wings dark 

 brown with brownish -buff margins ; outermost tail feathers 

 almost entirely white, the next pair brown at the base, along 

 the shaft and on the marginal portions of the inner web, 

 the rest dark brown with paler edges ; a broad buff stripe 

 above the eye ; lower plumage browny-buff ; the sides of the 

 throat, the fore-neck, and breast streaked with dark brown. 



Bill brown, paler beneath ; iris brown ; legs flesh colour. 



Dimensions a little variable ; length about 7 • 7 ; wing 3 • 75 ; 

 tail about 3*2; tarsus 1*2; bill from gape '8; hind claw 

 about • 75, and not greatly curved. 



