118 AVES INSESSORES. [ANTHUS. 



Very abundant on moors, barren heaths, and extensive fenny districts. 

 Stays the whole year. Sings in its descent, after rising to a considerable 

 height in the air, always returning to the ground, or to some low bush, 

 with motionless wings and expanded tail. Nest on the ground; com- 

 posed of dry grass, bents, and stalks of plants, patched on the outside 

 with a small quantity of green moss, and lined with fine grasses and long 

 horse-hair. Eggs five or six, hatched towards the end of May. Obs. The 

 Pipit Lark of Montagu is this species in its winter plumage, after the 

 autumnal moult. 



** Hind claw about equal to the toe in length, or 

 shorter ; much curved. 



68. A. arboreus, Bechst. (Tree Pipit.) Upper parts 

 olivaceous green, with dusky spots: breast and sides spot- 

 ted : wings with two transverse bars of yellowish white. 



A. arboreus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 271. Tree Pipit, Selb. 

 Illust. vol. i. p. 262. pi. 49. f. 5. Field Lark, Mont. Orn. Diet. 

 Tree Lark, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 218. 



DIMENS. Entire length six inches: length of the bill (from the fore- 

 head) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines; of the tarsus 

 nine lines ; of the tail two inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of 

 the wing three inches six lines. 



DESCRIPT. Strongly resembling the last species, but always to be 

 distinguished by the hind claw, which is shorter than the toe, and so 

 much curved as to form the quadrant of a circle ; the bill is also some- 

 what stronger, and more dilated at the base. Upper parts olivaceous 

 green, tinged with cinereous ; the centre of each feather, more especially 

 those on the head and back, dusky brown: lesser and middle wing-coverts 

 tipped with yellowish white, so as to shew a double transverse bar on the 

 wings when closed : throat almost white ; fore part of the neck, breast, 

 and flanks, ochre-yellow, marked with dusky spots, large and oval on 

 the breast, but assuming the form of long narrow streaks on the sides; 

 middle of the abdomen pure white ; under tail-coverts tinged with yellow, 

 but free from spots : tail dusky brown; the outer feather with the greater 

 portion white ; the next only tipped with white : upper mandible wholly 

 dusky, under mandible dusky at the tip, flesh-coloured at the base : irides 

 hazel : legs flesh-coloured, inclining to yellowish brown. (Egg.) Grayish 

 white ground, spotted and streaked with ash-colour and dark brown; 

 sometimes pale purple, spotted with darker purple and dark red brown : 

 long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. 



A migratory species, visiting this country about the third week in 

 April. Not uncommon in wooded districts, but rarely or never to be 

 found in open country. Sings in its descent like the last species, but 

 always rises from the top of some tall tree, to which it returns gra- 

 dually, with expanded wings and tail. Song heard till the middle of 

 July. Nest placed on the ground; formed of dry grass, patched ex- 

 ternally with moss, and lined with the finer grasses. Eggs four or 

 five. 



69. A. petrosus, Flem. (Rock Pipit.) Upper parts 

 greenish brown with darker spots : breast and sides streaked 

 with brown : above the eye a yellowish white streak. 



