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in Livonia and Esthonia, although but few records of its presence in central 

 Russia exist. It is on the other hand locally common in Poland, and also 

 on the! Kirghis steppes as well as in the Crimea and Caucasus districts. 

 Westward it has been found breeding in suitable spots in most parts of 

 the Balkan peninsula, avoiding the higher mountains and wooded districts, 

 but is not common, except in a few districts, in Greece. In Austro-Hungary 

 and Germany it is rather local, but is generally to be found in dry, sandy, 

 barren heaths, and on the outskirts of pine forests, but is less common 

 than one might expect in E. Prussia. Few pairs breed in Switzerland, and 

 in Italy it is for the most part a bird of double passage, although some 

 stay to nest in suitable localities throughout the country and also in Sicily. 

 In Holland scattered pairs haunt the dunes along the coast and on the 

 islands, as well as the inland heaths of Brabant and Gelderland; and is 

 also breeds in Luxemburg (Belgium). In France it is not uncommon in 

 the S., and in Spain breeds in some numbers on the dreary and forbidding- 

 looking high tablelands of La Mancha and Murcia, and in scattered pairs in 

 Valencia and Catalonia, while further S. in Andalucia and Granada it is a 

 bird of the sierra. This appears to be the case also in Portugal, where it haunts 

 high ground in the breeding season. In the Balearic Isles it is common and 

 generally distributed, and is plentiful in Corsica after April (Whitehead). 

 Nest. Rather a bulky structure, built of roots, stalks, etc., lined with finer 



grasses and sometimes with horsehair. Von Fiihrer noticed thistle down 

 and seeds of Ranunculaceae in nests from Montenegro, and also that the 

 site on rocky ground generally faced east. On the plains the nest is 

 generally sheltered by a grass tussock or a dwarf bush, and in sand dunes 

 is often concealed by a clump of marram grass, while in N. Africa it is 

 sometimes found among growing crops, but as a rule it prefers open and 

 barren country. The hen sits close and the nest is difficult to find, although 

 the metallic notes of the cock, delivered in true Pipit fashion during a 

 short flight, are characteristic. It is moreover a difficult bird to watch 

 on broken ground owing to the extraordinary speed with which it runs. 

 Diameter of cup 3 Jr in. 

 Eggs. Usually 4 or 5 in number, but 6 are occasionally found. They are 



tliin shelled and have rather more gloss than most Pipits' eggs, while in 

 colour they bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the Rufous and 

 Grey-backed Warblers, and vary considerably. The ground colour varies 

 from yellowish or even reddish white to greenish or bluish white, generally 

 rather thickly spotted and streaked with reddish brown and pale inky or 

 violet underlying blotches. The markings sometimes are so thick that they 

 almost obscure the ground, and sometimes they tend to form a zone or cap. 

 Breeding In Central Europe the eggs are seldom laid before the end of May 



or the beginning of June, and probably one brood is reared; the July nests 



Season. 



