212 MOTACILLID^E. 



it is freckled, mottled, streaked, and blotched all over, but as a 

 rule most densely towards the large end, with dingy brown or 

 purple, of different shades in different eggs, or both. In one egg 

 the whole of the markings are a dingy brownish-pinkish-purple ; 

 in another they are a mixture of sepia-brown and very pale inky 

 purple ; in another all sepia-brown of different shades ; while in a 

 fourth the brown is slightly yellower. 



In length the four eggs vary from 0'79 to O89, and in breadth 

 from 0-59 to 0-62. 



Anthus sordidus, Riipp. The Rufous Rock-Pipit. 



Agrodrorna cinnamomea (Riipp^ Jerd. B. 2nd. ii, p. 235. 

 Agrodroma similis, Jerd., Hume, Rough Draft N. q E. no. 603. 



Miss Cockburn says : " The Rufous Rock-Pipit is considered a 

 very rare bird, even on the Nilghiris. It is also extremely shy, 

 never approaching the habitation of man, and if a human being 

 trespasses on its wild retreat it instantly mounts high up in the 

 air, as if trying to escape his reach. 



" Dr. Jerdon has figured this species in his ' Illustrations of 

 Indian Ornithology,' and says he has met with it ' on the Segoor 

 Pass of the Nilghiris among rocky ground.' A nest of this rare 

 bird was found on this very Pass under a shelving rock ; it was 

 formed of fine grass, and contained only one egg. No doubt the 

 bird would have laid others, but it was too precious to an oologist 

 to be left even for a day, and therefore was brought safely away. 

 This egg was very much like a Lark's except that a greater number 

 of spots make it appear darker. It was found in the month of 

 March." 



Subsequently she obtained another nest, and favoured me with 

 two eggs. They very closely resemble those of Alauda malabarica, 

 Jerd. nee Scop., but are more glossy. They are moderately elon- 

 gated ovals, somewhat compressed and pointed towards one end, 

 with a creamy-white ground densely but very minutely freckled and 

 speckled all over with what on close examination proves to be very 

 pale yellowish brown and pale purplish grey. The markings are 

 almost uniformly distributed over the whole surface, but they are 

 slightly more dense at the large end. 



These eggs were taken on the 16th May, and measured O85 

 and 0-86 by 0-65. 



Anthus jerdoni (Finsch). The Brown Roclc-Pipit. 



Agrodroma sordida (Riipp.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 236. 



Agrodroma jerdoni, Finsch, Httme, Rough Draft N. 8f E. no. 604. 



I have never myself succeeded in finding a nest of the Brown 

 Rock-Pipit, and, looking to the eggs of this species sent me by 

 Colonel Marshall, those brought by Mr. Thompson's men from 



