ROCK PI PIT. 209 



ing to attack or to draw him from the vicinity. 

 The nest is placed by a rock, or under the edge, 

 where it is concealed by the herbage above ; it is 

 formed chiefly of dried grasses. Mr Hewitson 

 mentions having found one " in the centre of a 

 heap of dry sea weed, which lay upon the sandy 

 shore." The eggs are not so variable in colour as 

 those of the last, grayish brown being the prevail- 

 ing tint. 



The Rock Pipit stretches pretty generally 

 from north to south around our coasts, and is 

 found in the Orkney and Shetland isles. On the 

 European coasts, it is also not unfrequent, parti- 

 cularly on their lying in a range nearly similar 

 with the shores of Britain. Mr Swainson has 

 given a good figure of a bird in the Northern 

 Zoology, under the title adopted by Bechstein ; 

 but Mr Yarrell having examined the specimens, 

 and compared them with native ones, considers 

 them distinct ; Temminck states, that those re- 

 ceived from Japan differ but slightly, being 

 darker and more largely spotted. 



In the breeding state, the plumage of the 

 upper parts are grayish umber brown, the margins 

 of the feathers lighter, but so narrow as not to be 

 very conspicuous ; a light streak passes above the 

 eyes ; the wings and tail are umber brown, the 

 feathers of the former margined with yellowish 

 white, and the outer tail feathers being yellowish 

 brown; under parts grayish white, changing to 

 yellowish white on the centre of the belly, and 

 being there, and on the throat, free from spots ; 

 o 



