462 ANTRIM. 



bird, one of which was taken alive in Copenhagen Fields, 

 near London, which I believe is intended to refer to the 

 example recorded by Mr. Vigors : the other was taken 

 near Oxford. The British Museum also contains a British 

 specimen, which is said to have been killed at Bermondsey ; 

 and Mr. W. Proctor, the curator of the Durham University 

 Museum, informs me that he shot a specimen of this bird 

 on the 13th of February, 1832, near Howick, on the 

 Northumbrian coast, which is now in the collection of 

 the Rev. Thomas Gisborne, of Yoxall Lodge, Stafford- 

 shire. 



Since then four examples are recorded to have been 

 killed in Cornwall, one of them at St. Mary's, Scilly ; 

 six or seven in Devonshire ; two in Kent, and three in 

 Norfolk. 



The habits of this species, as far as the peculiarities of 

 so rare a bird can be known, for it is equally scarce on. 

 the Continent, are said to be very similar to those of the 

 other Pipits. It is mostly observed on the ground, fre- 

 quenting old pastures, where it stands very high, and runs 

 with facility, waving the tail up and down with a gentle 

 airy motion, like that observed in the Wagtails ; while its 

 long hind claw, but slightly curved, connects it with the 

 Larks; it has, like them also, an agreeable song. So scarce 

 is this species in foreign collections, that M. Temminck 

 appears to have seen but two specimens ; examples, how- 

 ever, have been obtained in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, 

 and Malta. This bird was named Ricardi in compliment 

 to a very zealous amateur of ornithology, who first made 

 known an example captured in Lorraine in autumn ; the 

 bird has also been taken in Picardy. M. Savi says, that 

 three specimens only were known to him as having been 

 obtained in Italy ; and this species probably inhabits the 

 countries south of the Mediterranean from whence stragglers 



