PIPITS, OR TITLARKS- 35 



EICHARD'S PIPIT, 



(Anthus Ricardi.} 



PLATE III. FIGURE 



ONLY a few specimens of this very rare bird have yet been met 

 with in the British Isles, and in no European country is it at all 

 common, little therefore is known of its habits: in appearance it is 

 said very closely to resemble the Rock Pipit, so closely, that only 

 a practical ornithologist could detect any difference between the two 

 species. It is not so much a shore bird as A. aquaticus, although 

 it sometimes frequents the sea margins and salt marshes near to them. 



The whole length of this bird is about six inches and three quar- 

 ters, it is therefore one of the largest of our group of Pipits; the 

 upper part of its beak is dark brown, the lower much paler, with 

 a yellow tinge; the feathers on the top of the head, nape, back, 

 wings, and upper tail coverts, are dark brown with yellowish edgings; 

 over the eyes and ear coverts passes a whitish streak, more or less 

 distinct in different individuals; like the chin, throat, and whole 

 under part of the body, the outer tail feather on each side is dull 

 white; at the sides of the neck and upper part of the breast there 

 is a tinge of yellow, and the latter is spotted with dark brown; the 

 flanks also are tinged with pale yellow, and the legs, toes, and 

 claws are flesh-coloured, the hind claw being, like that of the Rock 

 Pipit, very long, but not nearly so much curved. On the whole it 

 is a handsome bird, having the long tail of the Pipit genus, and a 

 slender, though well-proportioned body. No full description of its 

 habits has yet been given, few opportunities for observing them having 

 occurred, on account of its rarity: whenever seen it has been always 

 on the ground, where it runs swiftly and easily, sometimes waving 

 its tail up and down with the peculiar motion which is characteristic 

 of the Wagtails. It has a loud shrill note, which may be heard a 

 long way off, and is uttered frequently while the bird is flying. 



The name of this species, Ricardi, was given to it in compliment 

 to Mr. Richards, a zealous ornithological collector, who first made 

 it known to science by an example taken in Lorraine: it was first 



