MOTACILLID.E ANTHUS 243 



however, including the type of the genus, habitually perch on trees. 

 They have a chirping call-note, and some of them a fairly melodious 

 song. All build open cup-shaped nests on the ground and lay 

 spotted eggs that resemble, more or less, those of the Wagtails and 

 Larks. 



From the Larks, which they superficially resemble in colour and 

 in many of their habits, the Pipits are distinguished by having the 

 posterior aspect of the tarsus covered by two complete longitudinal 

 plates, whereas in the former the tarsus is scutellated both anteriorly 

 and posteriorly. 



Key to the Species (after Sharpe). 



a. Hind claw shorter than the hind toe. 



a } . Axillaries and under wing-coverts yellow-olive. 

 a 3 . The feathers of the wing-coverts and back 



with dark centres. 

 a?. Smaller : wing 3*25 ; with a yellow patch 



in the centre of breast A. chloris, p. 243. 



6 3 . Larger : wing 3 f 50 : without a yellow 



patch on the breast A. lineiventris, p. 245. 



b-. The feathers of the wing-coverts and back 



uniform and without dark centres A. crenatus, p. 245. 



ft 1 . Axillaries and under wing-coverts not yellow- 

 olive but pale tawny-buff or dusky-brown. 

 c 3 . Breast and flanks streaked with black. 

 c 3 . Middle and greater wing- coverts tipped 



with white A. triviaUs, p. 247. 



d 3 . No white tips to whig-coverts A. brachyurus, p. 248. 



d?. Flanks uniform, unstreaked. 



e 3 . Feathers of wing-coverts and back with 



dusky centres A. nicholsoni, p. 249. 



/ 3 . Feathers of wing- coverts and back uniform A.pyrrhonotus, p. 250. 



b. Hind claw equal to or exceeding the hind-toe in 



length. 



e a . Feathers of the upper surface clear brown, 



with blackish centres A. rufulus, p. 251. 



/" 2 . Feathers of the upper surface paler ash- 

 brown with darker centres A. bocagii, p. 252. 



'"V*-<- ii.t4.&* Cxt^>t*y^_ 

 138. Anthus chloris Small Yelloiu- tufted Pipit. 



Anthus chloris, Licht. Verz. Samml. Kafterril. p. 13 (1842) ; Sharpe, ed. 

 Layard's B. S. Afr. i, p. 541 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. x, p. 539 (1885) . 

 Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 12 (1896). 



